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BY   AMEDEE  ACHARD 


3  1822  01088  9731 


R.  EOLLEPi  FJCHASDSOIT. 
SURGEON,  U.S.  N, 


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'Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "  I  have  need  of  a  hundred  men  of  will." — p.   160. 


THE  DRAGOONS 
OF  LA  GUERCHE 

BY    AMEDEE   ACHARD 


Translated  from 

the  French 

BY    RICHARD    DUFFY 


HOWARD,  AINSLEH  &  CO. 
I'Um.lSHHKS       NHW  YORK 


Copyright,  1899, 
By  Street  &  Smith. 


Copyright  in  Great  Britain. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I — A  Desperate  Resolve 
II — Magdebourg        .... 
Ill — The  Prophecy  of  Magnus 
IV— With  Fire  and  Sword 
V — Count  Pappenheim's  Nobility 
VI — A  Monk  With  an  Appetite 
VII— A  Monk-Ridden  Inn 
VIII— The  Hostelry  of  Master  Innocent 
IX— A  Terrible  Awakening 
X — The  Dungeons  of  Ravennest    . 
XI— The  Kindness  of  Fate 
XII— Matthews  Drinks  His  Own  Medicin 
XIII— The  Battle  .... 

XIV— The  Wiles  of  a  Daughter  of  Eve 
XV — Prisoners  in  a  Palace 
XVI— Drachcnfeld  Castle     . 
XVII — Propositions  and  Provocations 
XVIII— The  Little  House  at  Nuremberg 
XIX— Four  Against  One 
XX— The  Dragoons  of  La  Guerche 
XXI— A  Halt  in  the  Shadow  of  a  Wall 
XXII— What  Woman  Wills     . 
XXIII  -The  Postern  of  Drachenfeld 
XXIV— Requiescat  in  Pace 

XXV— The  Retreat  of  the  Dragoons 
XXVI— The  Flag  of  Truce      . 
XXVII— The  Cannon's  Roar 
XXVIII— The  Marsh 
XXIX— Wolf  and  She-Wolf     . 
XXX -A  Fight  to  the  Death 
XXXI-The  Wolf  at  Hay 
XXXII  -Vae  Victis 
XXXIII  -The  King's  Avenged 


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The  Dragoons  of  La  Guerche 


CHAPTER  I.* 

A  DESPERATE  RESOLVE. 

The  Thirty  Years'  War  had  reached  that  stage  of  fury 
which  was  to  lay  Germany  waste  with  sack  and  pillage. 
It  was  the  hour  when  the  best  and  bravest  generals  of 
Europe  met  face  to  face  and  made  of  death  the  sole 
recognized  king  from  the  Elbe  to  the  Danube,  from 
Pomcrania  to  the  Palatinate.  Two  figures  dominated 
the  epoch,  Gustavus  Adolphus,  the  hero-king  of 
Sweden,  and  Wallenstein,  the  master  and  the  sword  of 
the  old  German  Empire.  What  events  might  not  issue 
from  this  stupendous  clash  of  arms ! 

In  the  midst  of  the  unleashing  of  these  passions,  in 
this  whirlwind  of  blood  we  return  to  the  personages  who 
figured  in  "The  Huguenot's  Love."  We  shall  follow 
them  through  new  adventures,  through  intrigues  and 
combats,  some  of  them  inspired  by  rancor  and  hatred, 
others  by  devotion  and  love.  It  is  with  Mademoiselle 
de  Souvigny  and  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan,  Count 
Pappenhcim  and  Count  Tilly,  John  of  Werth  and  Mat- 
theus  Orlscopp,  the  Baroness  of  Igomer  and  Margaret, 
Magnus  and  Carqucfou,  Armand-Louis  and  Rcnaud, 
that  we  shall  once  more  beat  about  the  shores  of  the 

*  "The  Huguenot's  Love,"  of  which  "The  DraRoons  of  La 
Guerche"  is  the  sequel,  is  published  uniform  with  this  volume 
by  Howard,  Ainslcc  &  Company. 


8  A  DESPERATE  RESOLVE 

Baltic  to  the  plains  of  Lutzen,  running  across  castles 
and  cities  in  our  way. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud 
had  spurred  their  steeds  towards  the  camp  of  the  King 
of  Sweden  in  pursuit  of  their  sweethearts.  At  this  time 
Gustavus  Adolphus,  with  some  thousands  of  men,  was 
in  the  vicinity  of  Potsdam.  He  was  endeavoring  by  the 
most  eloquent  remonstrances,  propped  by  divers  pieces 
of  artillery  which  he  discharged  against  the  city,  to  wean 
away  his  father-in-law,  the  Elector  of  Brandenbourg, 
from  his  alliance  with  the  Emperor  Ferdinand.  It  was 
exceedingly  important  to  him  that  there  should  be  no 
hostile  city  between  the  heart  of  Germany  and  the  shores 
of  Sweden  which  might  place  obstacles  to  his  retreat  in 
case  of  reverses. 

Neither  the  remonstrances  nor  the  pleadings  of  Gus- 
tavus Adolphus  in  favor  of  the  German  Protestant 
princes,  whose  independence  was  imperilled  by  the 
House  of  Hapsburg,  had  any  effect  upon  the  astute  heart 
of  George  William.  The  pieces  of  artillery  produced  a 
better  and  more  profound  impression.  According  as 
they  increased  in  number,  the  Elector  of  Brandenbourg 
showed  himself  correspondingly  disposed  to  come  to 
terms. 

When  the  King  of  Sweden  grew  tired  of  this  dilatori- 
ness,  which  cost  him  so  much  precious  time,  he  directed 
the  m.ouths  of  his  cannon  full  upon  the  palace  of  his 
father-in-law.  The  latter,  at  once  convinced  by  the  ex- 
cellence of  this  argumentation,  agreed  to  serious  negotia- 
tions. 

Unhappily  for  the  cause  which  the  King  of  Sweden 
had  entered  Germany  to  defend,  Gustavus  Adolphus  was 
not  the  only  one  acquainted  with  the  parleys  which  kept 
him  one  day  at  Potsdam,  another  in  Berlin.  Duke 
Francis-Albert  knew  from  day  to  day  what  was  said  in 
the  councils  of  the  king,  and  day  by  day  he  informed 
the  Commander-in-chief  of  all  details.  Count  Tilly,  al- 
most certain  that  Gustavus  Adolphus  would  not  issue 
from  his  enforced  inaction  as  long  as  he  had  not  over- 
come the  passive  resistance  of  George  William,  decided 
to  strike  a  decisive  blow  and  capture  Magdebourg,  whose 


A  DESPERATE  RESOLVE  9 

archiepiscopal  prince  had  sought  the  Swedish  alHance, 
placing  his  httle  army  under  the  command  of  Thierry  of 
Falkenberg,  one  of  the  heutenants  of  the  young  king. 

He  hastily  gathered  the  troops,  which  were  scattered 
in  the  vicinity,  and,  urged  on  by  the  impetuosity  of  Count 
Pappenheim.  who  burned  to  try  his  mottle  with  the  Hero 
of  the  North,  he  suddenly  presented  himself  in  the  free 
city  at  the  same  time  that  Armand-Lo'iis  and  Renaud 
reached  the  presence  of  the  Marquis  of  Pardaillan. 

When  the  two  young  gentlemen  entered  the  Swedish 
camp  the  new.-;  that  Alagdebourg  was  threatened  had 
just  been  received. 

Twenty-four  hours  later  a  courier  rode  up,  announc- 
ing that  the  city  was  invested.  He  was  accompanied  by 
a  fellow  messenger.  But  while  the  one,  sent  by  Chris- 
tian William,  the  Protestant  Archbishop  of  Magde- 
bourg,  sought  the  king,  the  other,  guided  by  Carquefou, 
requested  to  see  tlie  Marquis  of  Pardaillan,  whom  he 
found  sick  abed. 

The  unexpected  information  that  Magdebourg  was 
being  attacked  excited  the  rage  of  the  king,  at  the  same 
time  that  the  dispntch  borne  by  Benko  filled  the  soul  of 
the  Marquis  of  Pardaillan  v/ith  terror.  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus  beheld  a  check  upon  the  cause  for  which  he  had 
drawn  his  sword ;  the  aged  Huguenot  thought  only  of 
his  daughter  and  adopted  child,  exposed  to  all  the  hor- 
rors of  a  siege,  which,  on  account  of  the  name  of  the 
man  who  had  undertaken  it,  assumed  a  most  ominous 
aspect. 

His  wrinkled  features  livid  with  forebodings,  the  mar- 
quis summoned  to  his  side  the  two  young  Frenchmen,  to 
whom  he  exhibited  the  message  of  Magnus. 

"They  have  escaped  one  most  horrible  danger  only  to 
fall  into  another  more  frightful  still,''  he  said. 

"God  gave  them  back  to  us  only  to  take  them  from 
us,"  cried  Armand-Louis. 

"Oh,  but  Magnus  is  a  hicky  wretch,"  murmured  Re- 
naud. "To  think  that  he  should  have  been  there  and  not 
myself.  Nevertheless  Pll  hug  him  with  all  my  heart 
when  we  get  into  Magdebourg." 


xo  A  DESPERATE  RESOLVE 

"When  you  get  into  Magdebourg!"  the  marquis  in- 
terrupted.    "With  whom  do  you  expect  to  enter?" 

"With  King  Gustavus  Adolphus,  I  fancy,  and  I  as- 
sume that  the  dragoons  of  La  Guerche  will  be  the  first 
to  pass  through  the  gates." 

"What,  do  you  talk  of  the  king?  Would  you  see  me 
so  sad  if  His  Majesty  were  going  to  strike  camp  and 
march  against  the  enemy?  Oh,  don't  hope  for  that! 
Count  Tilly  alone  is  before  Magdebourg;  he  alone  will 
enter  the  city." 

"You  believe  then,  that  Gustavus  Adolphus,  the  prince 
to  whom  you  have  consecrated  your  entire  life,  will  not 
fly  to  the  aid  of  a  city  that  has  given  itself  up  to  him  ?" 

"Oh,  do  not  accuse  him.  How  can  he  leave  when  his 
father-in-law,  the  Elector,  haggles  with  him  over  a 
stronghold  and  reserves  for  himself  the  cursed  chance  of 
attacking  the  Swedes,  in  case  they  sufifer  a  check,  so  that 
he  may  obtain  a  more  advantageous  peace  from  Emperor 
Ferdinand." 

"Do  you  think,  then,  that  Magdebourg  will  not  be 
aided?"  asked  Armand-Louis,  turning  pale. 

"Magdebourg  will  not  be  aided  at  all  unless  by  me !" 

The  Marquis  of  Pardaillan  made  an  effort  to  seize  his 
sword  and  stand  up,  as  he  spoke,  but  an  atrocious  pain 
forced  him  back  to  his  seat.  "Oh,  what  unhappiness ! 
Only  a  father  could  lend  them  aid,  and  this  wretched 
father  is  reduced  to  impotence." 

"You  are  mistaken.  Marquis,"  interposed  Armand- 
Louis.  "Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  and  Mademoiselle 
de  Souvigny,  to  whom  I  have  plighted  my  faith,  shall 
not  be  deserted  because  your  age  and  illness  are  traitors 
to  your  courage.  Renaud  and  Armand-Louis  will  re- 
place you." 

"To  be  sure,"  cried  Renaud,  "and  that  most  speedily." 

"You  are  going?"  asked  the  marquis  with  emotion,  as 
he  took  their  hands. 

"You  do  us  injury  to  doubt  it,"  replied  Armand-Louis. 
"We  will  have  left  camp  within  an  hour.  I  ask  your 
permission  to  see  the  king,  who  may  perhaps  have  some 
order  for  me  to  bear  to  the  general  in  command  at  Mag- 
debourg." 


A  DESPERATE  RESOLVE  ii 

"I  cannot  say  whether  we'll  save  the  city,"  added  Re- 
naud.  "The  aid  of  two  men  is  not  a  great  deal ;  but  as 
long  as  life  is  within  us,  never  believe  that  your  daugh- 
ters are  lost !" 

"I  shall  never  forget  your  words,"  returned  the  mar- 
quis, who  extended  his  arms  and  clasped  the  two  French- 
men long  and  tenderly  to  his  bosom. 

As  they  were  leaving  the  tent  of  the  marquis,  and 
while  Renaud  was  wiping  his  eyes,  they  encountered 
Carquefou,  who  was  polishing  the  hilt  of  his  rapier  with 
the  sleeve  of  his  leather  cloak. 

"Sir,"  began  the  honest  valet,  approacliing  Renaud,  "I 
have  long  ears  and  as  a  consequence  I  hear  even  when  I 
don't  listen.  Why  did  you  tell  the  Marquis  of  Pardaillan 
just  now  that  you  had  the  aid  of  two  men  only?  Don't 
you  count  me  or,  in  your  opinion,  am  I  only  half  a  man? 
One  may  be  a  coward  by  birth,  by  character  or  by  prin- 
ciple and  not  be  the  less  brave  when  occasion  requires. 
Now  I  am  going  to  prove  this  to  you  when  we  are  under 
the  walls  of  ^lagdebourg.  This  said.  Sir,  permit  me  to 
go  and  make  my  will,  for  'tis  sure  as  the  sun  that  we 
shall  never  return  from  this  expedition." 

Armand-Louis  left  the  care  of  preparing  all  for  their 
departure  to  Renaud  and  went  to  the  king.  His  name 
opened  all  doors  for  him.  He  found  Duke  Francis-Al- 
bert with  Gustavus  Adolphus.  The  duke  appeared  to 
be  studying  some  maps  and  plans  which  were  spread  out 
on  the  table. 

At  the  sight  of  the  Saxon,  the  Huguenot  recalled  the 
warning  of  Margaret.  To  the  gracious  smile  of  the  duke 
he  replied  with  a  cold  bow,  then  in  a  high  voice,  he  said : 
"I  do  not  come  hither,  Sire,  in  the  interest  of  my  service 
but  of  my  personal  affairs.  May  I  hope  that  Your  Maj- 
esty will  be  good  enough  to  accord  me  a  private  inter- 
view of  a  few  moments'  duration?" 

"I  wish  to  inconvenience  no  one,"  interposed  the  duke, 
frowning.     "I  leave,  Count  of  La  Guerche." 

Arniand-Louis  bowed  without  answering  and  the  duke 
moved  away. 

"Ah,  you  do  not  like  the  poor  duke!"  exclaimed  the 
king. 


12  A  DESPERATE  RESOLVE 

"Sire,  you  like  him  too  much,''  returned  the  Huguenot. 

"If  such  words  fell  not  from  the  lips  of  a  friend,"  re- 
torted the  king  haughtily,  "I  should  tell  you,  my  dear 
Count,  that  I  am  the  only  judge  of  my  likes." 

"A  person  whose  devotion  Your  Majesty  cannot  doubt, 
a  woman  who  was  praying  for  Gustavus  Adolphus  the 
day  the  fleet  left  Sweden's  shores,  did  not  like  the  duke 
any  more  than  I  do.     Need  I  name  her — Margaret!" 

"Ah,  Margaret  told  it  you !"  exclaimed  the  king, 
nervously.  "I  knew  it.  He  inspired  her  with  terror. 
Nobody  about  me  loves  this  poor  duke ;  but  he  is  the 
friend  of  my  childhood.  One  day  I  wounded  him 
cruelly — " 

"Sire,  do  you  believe  that  he  has  forgotten  that?" 

"It  is  enough  that  I  remember  it  to  pardon  him  for 
remembering  it.  My  foremost  duty  is  to  try  by  every 
means  to  efface  the  trace  of  this  outrage." 

Gustavus  Adolphus  walked  up  and  down  the  chamber 
once  or  twice  and  then  asked  : 

"What  subject  calls  you  hither?  What  do  you  desire 
of  me?" 

The  Huguenot  understood  that  he  must  abandon  the 
matter  of  their  first  words. 

"Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  is  at  Magdebourg,  At 
this  moment  there's  a  truce.  The  imperial  troops,  com- 
manded by  Torquato  Conti,  no  longer  hold  the  country 
and  are  scattering  in  all  directions.  My  presence  is  use- 
less here;  therefore  I  am  going  to  Magdebourg." 

"To  Magdebourg!  Why  cannot  I  accompany  you!" 
exclaimed  the  king. 

"I  have  come  to  inquire  of  Your  Majesty  whether  there 
is  any  order  for  me  to  bear  to  Thierry  of  Falkenberg?" 

"Tell  him  to  hold  his  post  till  the  last  extremity,  to 
burn  his  last  cartridge,  to  fire  his  last  ball !  Let  him 
defend  the  inmost  wall  and  die  on  it,  if  necessary.  By 
the  faith  of  Gustavus  Adolphus,  as  soon  as  liberty  of 
action  is  allowed  me,  I'll  lend  him  the  help  of  my  sword." 

"Is  that  all  ?" 

"All,  Stay,  assure  him  that  if  I  were  not  chained  here 
by  the  Elector  of  Brandenbourg,  I  should  have  arrived 
with  you  in  Magdebourg." 


A  DESPERATE  RESOLVE  13 

The  king  tossed  the  maps  and  i)lans  on  the  table  with 
a  violent  gesture  and  added  menacingly : 

"If  the  Elector.  George  William,  were  not  the  father  of 
Eleanor,  there  would  not  have  been  a  stone  upon  a  stone 
in  Spandau  six  weeks  ago  and  my  cavaliers  would  have 
dug  their  horses'  hoofs  in  the  streets  of  Berlin." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Sire,"  interposed  Armand-Louis, 
taking  a  step  toward  the  door,  "but  my  hours  are  count- 
ed.    I  must  go." 

"Good  luck,  then,"  replied  the  king,  extending  his 
hand.     "Ah,  you  are  a  happy  man." 

"I  have  a  request  to  make  to  you.  Your  Majesty  alone 
knows  whither  I  go.  Will  Gustavus  Adolphus  keep  this 
knowledge  for  himself  alone?" 

"Xot  even  reveal  it  to  the  Duke  of  Lauenbourg,  is  not 
that  what  you  mean  ?"  said  the  king,  smiling. 

"Above  all,  not  to  him !" 

"Your  business  is  yours.  I  shall  keep  my  counsel," 
answered  the  king  with  a  shade  of  displeasure. 

Duke  Francis-Albert  was  not  in  the  gallery  which  led 
to  the  king's  chamber.  Armand-Louis  saw  Arnold  of 
Brahe  there. 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  the  Huguenot,  "I  find  the  face  of  a 
friend  when  I  feared  that  of  an  enemy.  A  double  good 
fortune!" 

Then  drawing  him  into  the  embrasure  of  a  window  he 
added : 

"Do  you  love  your  king  as  you  love  Sweden?" 

"He  is  my  master  by  birth,  my  master  by  choice.  M3) 
life  and  blood  are  his." 

"Then  watch  over  him." 

"What  is  wrong?" 

"There  is  a  man  whom  the  king  loves  and  who  hates 
the  king." 

"The  Duke  of  Saxe-Laucnbourg?" 

"Xot  so  loud!  When  this  man  is  in  the  king's  cham 
her,  be  afoot  at  the  door  with  your  hand  on  your  sword- 
hilt.  If  he  goes  hunting  with  the  king,  ride  close  to 
them.  If  some  expedition  calls  the  king  far  from  camp, 
do  not  lose  sight  of  the  other.  T.et  him  understand  that 
a  devoted  heart  is  there  and  that  faithful  eyes  survey  his 


14  A  DESPERATE  RESOLVE 

every  action.  He's  a  coward,  perhaps  he  will  dare  noth- 
ing. On  my  faith  of  a  gentleman,  if  I  speak  to  you  thus, 
it  is  not  without  grave  reason." 

"Fear  not.  I  shall  walk  in  his  shadow.  I  shall  breathe 
his  atmosphere,"  replied  Arnold,  clasping  the  Hugue- 
not's hand  firmly. 

When  night  fell,  three  men,  after  a  hard  gallop,  were 
far  from  the  camp.  They  followed  the  road  which  leads 
from  Spandau  to  Magdebourg. 

"Ah,"  the  Duke  of  Lauenbourg  said  to  himself,  who 
had  not  again  seen  the  Count  of  La  Guerche,  "if  Captain 
Jacobus  were  here  I  should  have  let  him  loose  on  the 
track  of  this  cursed  Frenchman." 


MAGDEBOURG  IS 


CHAPTER  II. 
lL\GDEBOURa. 

If  three  cavaliers  might  not  traverse  the  long  distance 
between  the  Swedish  camp  and  the  city  beleaguered  by 
Count  Tilly  without  risking  certain  perils,  dangers  trebly 
great  awaited  them  at  the  approaches  to  the  imperial 
camp.  The  keen  surveillance  of  countless  cavalry  patrols 
about  the  city  allowed  none  to  enter  or  leave  Magde- 
bourg.  Every  man  captured  by  them  stood  a  good 
chance  of  being  run  through  by  a  sword.  More  fre- 
quently a  pistol  ball  ended  his  examination  before  he 
had  an  opportunity  to  reply.  A  cordon  of  sentinels,  re- 
lieved from  hour  to  hour,  made  all  communication  be- 
tween the  city  and  the  surrounding  country  impossible. 
It  was  therefore  not  a  slight  undertaking  to  enter  Magde- 
bourg,  and  neither  Armand-Louis  nor  Renaud  under- 
rated the  fact. 

The  roar  of  cannon  in  the  distance  soon  apprised  them 
that  they  were  now  separated  from  the  city  only  by  a  nar- 
row stretch  of  field  and  forest.  This  formidable  noise 
seemed  to  inspire  them  with  an  even  greater  ardor  and 
they  boldly  spurred  their  steeds  ahead.  As  they  issued 
from  a  wood  they  perceived  deep  colunuTS  of  infantry  ad- 
vancing toward  the  new  part  of  the  city,  whence  mounted 
clouds  of  smoke  zebraed  by  red  flames.  Platoons  of  cav- 
alry guarded  every  road,  fifty  pieces  of  artillery  thundered 
on  the  plain,  and  riderless  horses  ran  wild  from  all  sides. 
Some  corpses  stretched  in  the  plain  showed  that  not  all 
balls  and  bullets  had  been  spent.  Far  away  the  ram- 
parts of  the  city  were  crowned  with  fire.  The  forts 
which  defended  the  apj)roachcs  to  the  city  bore  on  their 
summits  the  colors  of  the  emjx-ror. 

"They  are  preparing  to  attack  the  place,"  said  Armand- 
Louis. 


i6  MAGDEBOURG 

"Many  are  the  legs  that  will  be  broken  this  evening," 
Carquefou  murmured  philosophically,  meanwhile  mak- 
ing a  careful  scrutiny  of  his  pistols. 

He  was  too  well  acquainted  with  his  master  not  to 
know  that  there  could  never  be  any  fighting  in  his  neigh- 
borhood without  his  taking  a  part  in  it.  As  if  their  noble 
steeds  understood  the  secret  intention  of  their  riders,  they 
continued  to  advance  at  a  slackened  pace. 

Armand-Louis  lost  nothing  of  what  was  going  on 
about  him.  The  cavalry  patrols,  as  well  as  the  sentries, 
were  all  interested  in  what  was  taking  place  about  the 
city. 

In  a  few  moments  Armand-Louis,  Renaud  and  Car- 
quefou should  have  attained  the  outposts  of  the  imperial 
army.  A  few  soldiers,  struck  down  by  grape-shot,  lay 
dead  in  the  field.  Armand-Louis  lightly  dismounted  and 
put  on  the  green  belt  which  had  decorated  the  body  of 
an  officer. 

"Now  that's  not  bad,"  said  Renaud,  as  he  remarked 
the  action  of  his  friend. 

He  dismounted,  as  did  Carquefou  also,  and  looking 
around  them,  they  had  little  trouble  in  finding  the  ob- 
jects of  their  quest. 

"Now  for  a  bold  dash,"  said  Armand-Louis. 

"And  at  a  gallop,"  added  Renaud. 

"Oh,  I  knew  it  would  come  to  this,"  cried  Carquefou. 

They  spurred  their  horses  and  set  off  at  top  speed. 
Two  or  three  sentries  turned  to  look  at  them.  One  even 
lowered  his  musket,  but  when  he  noticed  the  green  belts 
he  shouldered  it  again. 

A  cavalry  patrol  beheld  the  three  hardy  adventurers 
pass  and  did  not  doubt  but  they  belonged  to  the  major 
body  of  the  imperial  army. 

Farther  on  a  company  of  infantry  was  halted  in  a 
causeway  which  they  had  to  traverse  to  reach  the  burn- 
ing suburbs. 

"Order  of  Count  Tilly!"  cried  Armand-Louis,  who 
rode  ahead. 

The  company  opened  ranks. 

"I  thought  I  saw  the  throats  of  a  thousand  wolves," 
said  Carquefou  when  they  had  passed. 


MAGDEBOURG  17 

Thev  had  crossed  the  outposts  of  the  camp ;  another 
spurt  bore  them  to  the  entry  of  the  suburbs,  where  the 
ranks  of  the  imperial  troops  were  all  disordered.  The 
wounded  were  lying  on  the  walls,  others  groaned  as  they 
were  carried  away  by  their  comrades.  Several  wild  balls 
began  to  shatter  the  plaster  of  the  houses  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

"Hello,  friend !"  cried  Armand-Louis  to  a  lansquenet, 
"have  they  burst  in  the  gates  of  the  city?" 

"It  rains  shot,"  answered  the  soldier,  "but  the  gates 
hold  firm.  These  cursed  shop-keepers  keep  a  hell-fire 
upon  us  from  the  top  of  their  ramparts." 

"Forward!"  said  Renaud. 

"Oh,  but  this  is  fine  sport,"  murmured  Carquefou,  "the 
shot  of  our  friends  catches  us  on  the  nose  and  the  shot  of 
our  enemies  in  the  back." 

They  soon  found  themselves  among  the  first  columns 
of  the  attack.  The  carnage  was  terrible.  They  were 
fighting  under  the  very  walls  of  Magdcbourg.  It  was 
evident  that  the  suburb  which  Count  Tilly  chose  for  at- 
tack that  day  would  remain  in  the  power  of  the  assail- 
ants. To  save  part  of  his  garrison,  which  had  been  over- 
come by  superior  forces,  the  of^cer  who  commanded  that 
post,  had  just  opened  a  postern.  Perfect  waves  of  men 
were  to  be  seen  gathered  about  this  postern.  Iron  and 
lead  made  great  holes  in  their  number,  but,  like  the  waves 
on  the  shore  of  the  sea,  other  waves  replaced  the  ones 
which  disappeared.  The  conquerors  wished  to  enter  with 
the  conquered. 

Aloft,  and  wielding  a  battle-axe  with  the  vigor  of  a 
forester  felling  trees,  John  of  Werth  split  the  skulls  of  all 
before  him.  The  captain  had  been  supplanted  by  the 
soldier.  In  the  city  before  him,  had  not  Alademoiselle  de 
Souvigny  taken  refuge? 

"God's  day,  we're  done  for!"  moaned  Carquefou  when 
he  recognized  the  baron. 

Renaud  would  have  leaped  to  the  side  of  John  of  Werth 
but  Carquefou  restrained  him  by  main  force. 

"Marquis,"  he  said,  "do  you  forget  that  we  are  like 
Danirl  in  the  lion's  den.  Don't  have  us  die  before  our 
time." 


i8  MAGDEBOURG 

Before  the  postern,  buttressed  on  his  stout  legs,  stood 
Magnus,  swinging  his  musket  around  his  head  Hke  a  war- 
club.  Each  time  that  the  bloody  weapon  traced  a  circle, 
a  man  fell.     A  void  was  being  made  about  him. 

"Our  salvation  lies  there !"  added  Carquefou,  pointing 
out  Magnus  to  Renaud. 

But  the  marquis  was  delirious  with  the  fever  of  battle. 

"To  hell  with  this  rag!"  he  roared  as  he  tore  off  the 
green  belt.  Then,  whirling  his  sword,  he  charged  upon 
a  captain  of  the  lansquenets. 

Armand-Louis  was  thick  in  conflict  with  two  imperial- 
ists, who  barred  his  way  to  the  postern.  Magnus  per- 
ceived him.  A  terrible  leap  landed  him  in  the  midst  of 
the  Austrians  and  his  bloody  musket  barrel  knocked 
down  two  more  victims. 

A  handful  of  determined  men  had  followed  him.  The 
lire  from  turret  and  rampart  was  redoubled.  The  assail- 
ants retreated  somewhat  and  a  broad,  naked  spot  lay  be- 
tween them  and  the  postern. 

"Follow  me !"  cried  Magnus. 

Armand-Louis,  Renaud  and  Carquefou,  who  with 
lowered  head  struck  everybody  in  their  way,  joined  Mag- 
nus almost  instantly. 

"Now  to  the  postern  !"  roared  Magnus. 

"He  talks  like  a  sage !"  growled  Carquefou  still  wild- 
ing his  sword  as  they  retreated. 

Through  the  wreck  of  the  garrison  they  made  impetu- 
ously for  the  wide-opened  postern,  behind  which  a  troop 
of  Swedes  was  ready  to  receive  them.  At  this  moment 
John  of  Werth  recognized  the  trio. 

"Ah,  the  bandits  !"  he  shrieked. 

In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  he  had  calculated  the  dis- 
tance which  separated  him  from  the  fugitives.  But  they 
were  beyond  him  now.  Turning  to  the  group  of  soldiers 
which  surrounded  him  he  roared : 

"Fire!" 

But  the  fugitives  had  all  passed  within  the  ramparts. 
The  heavy  doors  of  the  postern  rolled  upon  their  hinges 
and  a  few  hurtling  balls  rebounded  upon  the  ironbound 
planks  of  oak. 

"I  think  we  got  here  in  time,"  said  Carquefou.      Mag- 


MACDEBOURG  19 

nns  did  not  lose  a  minute  in  conductinj^  Armand-Louis 
and  Rcnaud  to  the  house  at  which  he  had  sought  a  lodg- 
ing for  the  two  young  ladies  upon  their  arrival  in  Magde- 
bourg. 

The  time  had  passed  when  they  used  to  go  to  the  win- 
dow, anxious  and  curious  at  each  noise  in  the  street.  How 
many  pieces  of  cannon  had  they  not  counted  as  they  were 
drawn  past  the  house  by  the  citizens !  How  many  pa- 
trols and  companies  rushing  by  full  of  ardor  for  the 
fray,  and  returning  wounded  and  blackened  with  powder. 
The  shrieking  of  shells  or  the  whistling  of  bullets  still 
made  them  quake,  but  no  longer  terrified  them.  They 
understood  now  the  perils  from  which  the  courage  and 
resolution  of  Magnus  had  delivered  them.  They  thanked 
God ;  and  judged  the  burning  projectiles  which  filled  the 
city  with  ashes  and  ruins  to  be  less  terrible  than  the 
Baroness  of  Igomer  or  the  Convent  of  St.  Rupert. 

Their  hours  were  passed  in  conversing  of  their  be- 
trothed. What  were  they  doing?  In  what  territory  were 
they  now  seeking  them  ?  Had  the  messenger  sent  by 
Magnus  yet  reached  them?  To  be  sure  the  two  young 
gentlemen  must  be  suffering  greater  anxieties  than  they. 
At  times  they  thought  it  could  not  be  long  before  they 
should  see  them  ;  but  so  sweet  a  hope  suddenly  filled 
them  with  affright,  when  they  recalled  the  thousand  dan- 
gers their  lovers  would  be  exposed  to  in  this  beleaguered 
city.  They  would  be  surely  the  first  in  the  fight ;  and 
moreover,  were  not  the  men  who  directed  this  hail  of  shot 
against  Magdebourg  named  John  of  Werth  and  Henry  of 
Pappcnheim  ?  The  memory  of  these  two  implacable  ene- 
mies made  the  cousins  pale  with  fear  and  foreboding. 

"Heaven  grant  that  they  may  not  come  hither,"  said 
Adricnne,  when  all  these  dangers  passed  before  her  men- 
tal vision.  But  the  prayers  whicli  the  two  maidens  ad- 
dressed to  heaven  were  rather  timid.  They  felt  them- 
selves quite  alone,  and  if  a  stray  shot  should  kill  Magnus 
what  would  become  of  them,  left  in  a  city  delivered  up  to 
all  the  horrors  and  hazards  of  a  siege  in  which  they  had 
neither  kinsfolk  nor  friends. 

As  soon  as  the  halls  [)rrparcd  for  the  wounded  had 
begun  to  receive  their  blood-stained  guests,  Adriennc  and 


20  MAGDEBOURG 

Diana,  amidst  the  women  of  the  city,  lent  themselves  to 
the  succor  of  the  fallen  soldiers.  Their  delicate  hands 
became  accustomed  to  dressing  the  most  horrible 
wounds.  They  dwelt  amid  cries  and  groans.  They 
spent  long  nights  between  walls  where  moans  of  agony 
banished  all  sleep.  Ah,  but  how  far  removed  from  this 
were  their  happy  days  at  St.  Wast ! 

When  other  young  women  came  to  relieve  them  at  the 
pillows  of  the  sufferers  they  returned  to  theii  apartments, 
where  they  made  bandages  or  melted  shot. 

At  the  very  hour  that  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  ap- 
peared before  Magdebourg,  Adrienne  and  Diana  had 
just  received  their  relief  after  a  whole  night  in  the  hos- 
pital, which  death  visited  every  minute.  Despite  the 
formidable  thunder  of  the  strife,  which  bloodied  one  of 
Magdebourg's  gates,  the  two  cousins  had  retired  to  a 
little  room  whose  narrow  windows  looked  out  upon  the 
garden.  They  were  both  in  silent  meditation,  while  fill- 
ing a  large  basket  at  their  feet  with  lint.  At  times  their 
hands  rested,  a  sigh  swelled  their  bosoms  and  their  eyes 
would  be  pensively  raised  heavenward. 

The  detonations  of  the  artillery  succeeded  one  another 
every  minute.  A  sudden  clamor  in  a  neighboring  street 
indicated  to  them  that  a  wounded  man  was  being  brought 
to  his  family.  Then  they  would  shudder  and  resume 
their  pious  labor,  which  had  suffered  the  interruption  of 
a  momentary  dream. 

Gradually  a  silence  fell ;  now  only  at  intervals  was  a 
cannon  heard,  the  final  shots  of  the  ending  battle.  Then 
footsteps  were  heard  in  the  street  and  almost  immediately 
afterward  the  knocker  of  the  door  was  let  fall  heavily. 

"Dost  hear?"  asked  Adrienne,  springing  from  her 
chair. 

"  'Tis  Magnus,"  returned  Diana,  who  felt  her  cheeks 
turn  pale. 

"  "Tis  he,"  said  Adrienne,  "but  he's  not  alone.  Who 
can  be  with  him?     Who  is  there  to  come  here?" 

Meanwhile  hurried  steps  clattered  on  the  stairway. 

"God  is  good,  he  has  heard  our  prayers !"  cried  Diana. 

"Ah,  thou  knowest  them  as  I  do.     'Tis  Armand !" 

"  'Tis  Renaud !" 


MAGDEBOURG  ai 

The  door  was  pushed  open  and  four  men,  whose  gar- 
ments were  stained  with  dust,  powder  and  blood,  burst 
into  the  room. 

Before  they  could  utter  a  sound  Armand-Louis  and 
Renaud  were  at  the  feet  of  Adrienne  and  Diana. 

Incapable  of  standing  alone,  Adrienne  leaned  en  the 
shoulders  of  Armand-Louis. 

"You  are  cruel,"  she  cried,  "you  would  have  me 
tremble  for  your  safety  every  hour." 

"Is  it  life  to  live  separated  from  you?"  asked  Armand- 
Louis  in  transport. 

"Thou  knowest  my  love  for  him,"  added  Adrienne, 
looking  upward,  in  an  utter  exaltation  of  soul,  "if  it  be 
Thy  will,  Our  Saviour,  to  join  us  in  death  as  we  have 
been  joined  in  life,  may  Thv  holv  name  be  blessed  and 
Thy  will  be  done !" 

"Come  here,"  said  Magnus  to  Carquefou  brusquely. 
"Baliverne  has  done  a  deal  of  work  to-day.  I  must  have 
a  chat  with  her." 

"And  the  Shivcrer  shall  not  take  ill  a  little  refresh- 
ment," replied  Carquefou.  "I  feel  her  fainting  on  my 
hips." 

Recovering  from  the  emotion  of  the  first  few  moments 
and  again  mistress  of  herself,  Diana  was  threatening  Re- 
naud with  her  pretty  finger.  He  remained  kneeling  be- 
fore her  in  speechless  adoration  and  joy. 

"I  can  understand  the  Count  of  La  Guerche's  return," 
she  said,  rallying.  "It  is  enough  to  see  his  attitude  to  her 
to  understand  the  motives  which  urged  him  hither.  But 
why  did  you  follow  him  to  Magdebourg?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  replied  Renaud,  troubled. 

"Oh,  what  an  innocent !  Well,  if  you  do  not  know 
why  you  came  you  had  better  leave  at  once,  for  the 
country  is  unhealthy.  It  rains  bullets  here  and  the  wind 
is  the  color  of  fire.  The  Count  of  La  Gucrche  has  a  n'ght 
to  live  here.  Something  keeps  him  here  and  he  is  willing 
to  lose  all  to  remain  with  this  something.  But  the  Mar- 
quis of  Chaufontaine!  Ah,  fie!  if  he  should  receive  a 
scratch  we  could  never  forgive  ourselves." 

"You  send  me  back?"  asked  Renaud,  scarcely  able  to 
breathe. 


22  MAGDEBOURG 

"To  be  sure,  if  you  have  no  good  reasons  for  remain- 
ing here." 

"But,  Mademoiselle,  I  love  you,  I  adore  you!"  cried 
Renaud  beside  himself. 

"Are  you  quite  sure  of  that  ?"  said  Diana  gravely. 

"Am  I  sure  of  it?  I  would  sacrifice  ten  thousand  lives 
to  spare  you  a  tear.  I  no  longer  belong  to  myself  since 
I  first  saw  you.  The  castle  of  St.  Wast,  where  you 
dawned  upon  me,  captured  my  heart  and  has  kept  it. 
I'm  almost  mad,  it  is  true" 

"Almost?"  interposed  Diana,  smiling. 

"Well,  if  you  wish,  wholly  mad,  and  something  more. 
There  is  no  stupidity  or  extravagance  of  which  I  am  not 
capable.  There  are  days  when  he  who  addresses  you  is  a 
perfect  villian.  Oh,  sweet  heaven,  what  a  confession 
'twould  be,  did  I  tell  all !  Collect  all  the  faults  and  all 
the  imprudences  of  the  world,  combine  them  in  one  and 
you  have  me.  But  I  love  you,  and  at  the  height  of  my 
follies,  when  my  heart  and  my  head  have  the  bit  in  their 
teeth,  if  you  made  a  sign,  a  single  sign,  you  would  see  me 
at  your  feet  like  a  child.  Armand  can  tell  you.  He  has 
seen  me.  Ask  him  what  he  thinks  of  my  fever.  I  be- 
lieved in  the  beginning  that  I  had  convulsions.  I  spared 
nothing  to  heal  myself.  Oh,  nothing,  I  swear.  But 
nothing  could  cure  me,  neither  travels  nor  bottles,  neither 
time  nor  absence,  neither  this  nor  that,  nor  the  things  I 
do  not  tell.  Had  I  any  need  to  love  you,  let  me  ask  you  ? 
But  this  love  is  like  a  nail  which  one  strikes.  Each  day 
it  sinks  deeper.  It  is  like  a  charm  which  you  have  cast 
upon  me.  In  faith,  I've  done  my  share,  now  you  must, 
do  yours.  Henceforward  you  will  see  me  eternally  near 
you,  and  if  some  day,  in  punishment  of  my  sins,  which 
are,  alas,  rather  numerous,  you  drive  me  from  your  pres- 
ence, I  do  not  know  whither  I  shall  betake  myself,  to  the 
land  of  the  Indians,  or  to  declare  war  on  the  Incas  of 
Peru,  and  I  shall  be  killed  in  some  barbaric  isle,  while 
crying  out  your  name  to  the  savages  about  me." 

"Well,"  replied  Diana,  "now  that  I  know  your  reasons 
for  coming  hither,  I  fancy  that  some  day  I  may  myself 
be  called  Madame  de  Chaufontaine." 


MAGDEBOURG  23 

Rcnaud  gave  a  cry  that  rang  through  the  house.  He 
attempted  to  stand  but  burst  into  tears. 

"Ah,  tears  are  good,"  said  Diana,  offering  him  her 
hand.  "No  words  can  equal  them,  and  as  I  see  them,  1 
also  dare  tell  you.  Renaud,  that  I  love  you  and  shall  never 
Jove  any  but  you  !" 


24  THE  PROPHECY  OE  MAGNUS 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  PROPHECY  OF  MAGNUS. 

That  same  evening  Armand-Louis  went  to  Thierry  de 
Falkenberg,  who  was  at  the  town  hall  and  imparted  to 
this  officer  the  instructions  Gustavus  Adolphus  had  given 
him  in  their  brief  interview. 

"Oh,  I  will  hold  the  city  as  long  as  I  can,"  said  the 
Swedish  officer,  "but  can  I  hold  it  long?" 

He  then  informed  Armand-Louis  that  signs  of  discon- 
tent began  to  show  among  the  inhabitants  of  Magde- 
bourg.  Some  regretted  their  stifled  commerce,  others, 
the  consequences  of  an  attack  in  case  fate  betrayed  their 
arms.  The  place  was  suffering  much  under  the  fire  of 
the  besiegers. 

"Had  I  not  two  thousand  soldiers  of  the  Swedish  army 
and  a  body  of  volunteers  determined  to  resist  till  the 
bitter  end,"  added  M.  de  Falkenberg,  "Madgebourg 
would  already  have  opened  her  gates." 

"You  know  what  the  king,  your  master,  desires,"  re- 
turned Armand-Louis.  "The  word  surrender  must  not 
be  spoken." 

"It  never  shall  while  I  live,  I  swear  to  you." 

Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  investigated  the  interior  of 
the  city  and  the  ramparts.  Everywhere  they  found  the 
evidences  of  long  conflicts,  portions  of  the  walls  in  dust, 
houses  riddled  with  bullets,  disemboweled  towers,  smok- 
ing ruins ;  everywhere,  a  gloomy  population ;  no  more 
songs  or  shouts,  but  women  and  children  weeping  in  the 
churches.  The  suburbs,  invaded  by  the  Imperialists,  were 
a  heap  of  wreckage,  lighted  up  here  and  there  with  flames. 

Nevertheless,  though  the  enthusiasm  of  the  first  days 
had  fallen,  the  defense  was  equally  energetic  and  vigilant. 
The  army  of  Tilly,  having  mastered  the  forts  and  the  sub- 
urbs, had  dealt  cruel  losses.  The  best  regiments,  which 
had  been  so  often  led  to  victory,  were  decimated ;  and  a 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  MAGNUS  25 

goodly  number  of  excellent  captains  had  lost  their  lives 
in  these  niurderous  affrays.  No  part  of  the  belt  of  wall 
which  encircled  Magdeboiirg  was  broken.  Its  artillery 
replied  unfailingly  to  the  Austrian  artillery.  The  gen- 
erals of  the  enemy  who  found  the  oldest  troops  in  their 
hands  hesitating,  began  to  believe  that  they  could  never 
take  this  rebel  city  by  main  force. 

To  recommence  the  assault  after  the  check  at  the  pos- 
tern would  have  been  to  expose  the  arms  of  Ferdinand  to 
a  defeat  whose  consequences  were  incalculable. 

One  morning,  after  a  long  series  of  skirmishes  which 
had  cost  the  enemy  many  lives,  the  sentinels  placed  on 
the  highest  towers,  observed  that  divers  batteries,  which 
the  previous  evening  had  been  vomiting  flame  and  iron, 
appeared  to  be  disburdened  of  their  engines  of  destruc- 
tion. There  were  no  soldiers  about  these  deserted  bat- 
teries. Carquefou,  who  was  on  guard  close  by  a  postern, 
hung  a  rope  from  a  spike  and  let  himself  down  into  the 
trench. 

"Faith,  'tis  so  much  the  worse,"  he  said  to  his  com- 
rades.    "Fear  gives  way  to  curiosity." 

Several  resolute  men  followed  him  into  the  burned 
suburbs,  and  glifling  nearer  and  nearer  behind  fragments 
of  the  walls  and  along  the  trenches,  at  last  reached  the 
outposts  of  the  Imperial  army.  Its  lines  were  no  longer 
so  tight  about  Magdebourg.  The  army  had  retreated 
some  distance. 

The  news  of  this  unexpected  retreat  traversed  the  city 
like  lightning.  Everybody  rushed  into  the  streets  and 
questioned  those  who  had  gone  as  scouts  to  reconnoiter 
the  positions  of  Tilly's  army. 

"I  advanced  timidly  to  the  site  of  that  great  battery, 
whose  top  you  can  see  beyond  on  the  down,"  said  Car- 
quefou. "Cod  knows  I  was  ready  to  run  like  a  hare  at 
the  first  alarm.  The  hurdles  had  been  overthrown,  the 
parapets  knocked  down,  the  cannons  carried  away.  I 
could  see  naught  on  the  plain  but  a  company  of  cavaliers 
behind  a  curtain  of  trees. 

A  hundred  civilians  flimg  their  caps  in  the  air. 

"They're  going  away !"  was  cried  upon  all  sides,  and 
the  happiest  of  them  fell  to  embracing  each  other. 


26  THE  PROPHECY  OF  MAGNUS 

"If  they're  going  away,"  said  Magnus,  "the  moment 
is  come  for  us  to  keep  a  watchful  lookout." 

The  veteran  was  glared  at  in  astonishment. 

"Don't  you  understand?"  they  said."  The  Imperialists 
are  beating  a  retreat." 

"I  understand,  perhaps,  and  that  is  why  I  say,  if  you 
do  not  watch  by  day  and  by  night,  some  fine  morning 
the  Croatians  will  be  in  Magdebourg." 

The  civilians  laughed  at  him. 

"The  Trojans  laughed  also  when  the  daughter  of 
Hecuba  spoke,"  retorted  Magnus,  "and  Troy  was  taken 
and  reduced  to  ashes." 

Nevertheless,  he  desired  to  learn  what  Carquefou  had 
discovered.  Armand-Louis,  who  was  ever  thinking  of 
some  means  to  restore  the  young  ladies  to  the  Marquis  of 
Pardaillan,  together  with  Renaud,  accompanied  Magnus, 
hoping  to  find  some  road  passable. 

For  a  long  time  they  followed  the  lines  of  circumvalla- 
tion,  which  had  been  occupied  by  the  enemy  the  evening 
before.    Not  a  single  breastwork  but  was  abandoned. 

"Some  deserter  must  have  told  them,"  said  Magnus 
anxiously,  "that  we  have  the  forces  to  take  and  keep 
them." 

"Magnus  believes  in  nothing;  not  even  flight,"  re- 
turned Renaud,  who  was  already  foretasting  the  pleas- 
ures of  the  journey  he  should  undertake  with  Diana. 

"Count  Tilly  has  never  taken  flight,"  said  Magnus. 
"If  he  retires  at  times,  it  is  his  fashion,  like  the  tiger's,  in 
order  to  make  a  better  spring." 

All  three  forged  ahead  in  search  of  an  open  way.  But 
behind  a  hedge  they  discovered  a  cordon  of  infantry ;  in 
the  depths  of  the  woods,  a  squadron  of  cavalry ;  in  the 
centre  of  villages  and  farms,  regiments.  There  was  no 
trace  of  rout,  no  wagon  overturned,  no  piece  of  artillery 
abandoned.  Each  copse  of  trees  as  well  as  every  hollow 
in  the  road  sheltered  a  sentinel. 

"The  Imperial  army  acts  as  a  wolf  when  it  watches  a 
lamb,"  said  Magnus. 

"And  in  this  instance  the  lamb  is  Magdebourg,  is  it 
not?"  asked  Armand-Louis. 

At  this  instant  three  or  four  shots  crashed  and  a  cor- 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  MAGNUS  a? 

responding  number  of  balls  dug  up  the  earth  about  them. 

"There's  my  answer,"  said  Magnus. 

They  returned  to  Magdebourg,  which  they  found  in 
jovial  mood.  Bonfires  blazed  in  the  streets,  tuns  of  beer 
and  wine  were  tapped,  tables  set.  Children  were  singing 
and  dancing,  all  doors  were  opened  wide.  Confusion 
and  clamor  reigned  everywhere.  Some  of  the  notables 
were  talking  of  a  banquet  to  be  given  at  the  town  hall  to 
celebrate  the  deliverance  of  their  valiant  city. 

"If  you  cannot  induce  M.  de  Falkenberg  to  command 
these  shopmen  to  return  to  the  ramparts,  Magdebourg  is 
lost,"  said  Magnus. 

Armand-Louis  hastened  to  the  Governor's  palace.  It 
was  thronged  with  an  immense  crowd.  The  civilians, 
freed  from  their  arms,  were  congratulating  one  another. 
The  younger  men  were  forming  dances  in  the  square. 
It  was  with  difficulty  that  Armand-Louis  elbowed  his 
way  to  the  apartment  of  the  Swedish  chieftain.  He  found 
him  engaged  upon  his  replies  to  the  last  despatches  of 
Count  Tilly.  A  burgomaster,  standing  upon  a  table, 
read  them  in  a  loud  voice  to  the  magistrates  and  notables 
of  the  city. 

Their  tone  was  extraordinarily  moderate,  although  the 
Austrian  commander  again  summoned  Magdebourg  to 
capitulate. 

"The  cock  does  not  crow  so  loud  now,"  commented 
one  of  the  auditors. 

"He  is  beginning  to  understand  that  our  walls  arc  not 
made  of  gingerbread,"  said  another. 

"The  old  wretch  must  have  caught  cold  in  our 
trenches,"  said  a  third. 

"His  doctors  must  have  ordered  him  a  change  of  air," 
added  his  neighbor. 

With  a  superb  disdain  the  burgomaster  flung  the  dis- 
patches on  the  table,  amid  the  laughter  and  raillery  of  the 
assembly. 

"Henceforward  Count  Tilly  will  know  of  what  .stuff 
Magdebourg  is  made,"  said  the  burgomaster. 

"And  ye,  Magdebourgians,  remember  the  fate  of  Maes- 
tricht,"  said  Magnus. 


28  THE  PROPHECY  OF  MAGNUS 

All  eyes  were  cast  upon  the  old  soldier.  A  shudder 
ran  through  the  room. 

"One  night  not  long  since,  Maestricht  believed  itself 
saved,"  pursued  Magnus.  "The  enemy  was  retreating 
wearied  of  vain  attacks  on  the  ramparts.  The  next  day 
Maestricht  was  taken.  If  you  do  not  wish  to  wake  up 
in  fire  and  blood,  then,  men,  be  on  3^our  guard !" 

A  messenger  entered,  bearing  news.  He  had  seen  the 
Walloon  regiments  of  the  Pappenheim  corps  on  the 
march  toward  Schoenbeck. 

"They  were  followed  by  a  large  body  of  artillery,"  he 
added. 

At  these  words  a  great  tumult  broke  out  in  the  hall. 
They  thought  no  more  of  the  warning  of  Magnus,  save  to 
mock  at  him. 

"If  you  are  sick,  friend,  don't  drink,  but  at  least  let  us 
make  merry  in  peace,"  cried  the  burgomaster. 

"Plague  upon  the  one  who  won't  have  us  enjoy  our- 
selves," said  another  of  them. 

"Comrade,  if  you  are  afraid  at  Magdebourg,  then  set 
out  for  Maestricht." 

Each  one  vied  with  his  neighbor  to  launch  a  jest,  but 
while  some  of  them  chattered,  others,  having  paid  a  visit 
to  the  cellars  of  the  hall,  charged  tables  with  bottles  and 
pots. 

"Good  appetite  to  ye,  sirs,"  said  Magnus.  "I  will  not 
sit  at  a  funeral  feast." 

In  the  meantime  Armand-Louis  had  approached  M. 
de  Falkenberg  and  had  informed  him  of  what  he  had 
seen  and  of  what  he  suspected.  The  Swede  frowned  and 
glared  about  him. 

"I  know,"  he  said.  "I  know;  but  nobody  here  is  in 
a  condition  to  hear  me.  Prince  Christian  William  him- 
self, who  will  lose  his  head  if  Magdebourg  be  taken,  is 
riding  about  the  city  in  holiday  attire.  I  shall  deem  my- 
self fortunate  if  I  can  keep  a  few  hundred  men  at  my  side. 
The  merry-making  fever  is  in  the  air.  It  has  infected 
even  my  soldiers." 

The  captain  pointed  to  a  band  of  Swedes  tipping 
glasses  with  the  citizens  in  the  square  under  his  window. 

Armand-Louis   and    Renaud   left   the  town  hall  more 


THE  PROPHECY  OF  MAGNUS  »9 

sorrowful  than  when  they  had  entered  it.  Magnus  spoke 
no  more.  Each  street  they  passed  through  offered  a 
hoHday  sight.  Musicians,  seated  on  casks,  scraped  their 
fiddles  to  the  lissome  steps  of  dancing  youths  and 
maidens.  Hundreds  of  tables  set  in  the  open  air,  re- 
ceived the  thousands  of  guests.  Passersby  were  invited 
10  sit  down  and  drink.  Every  hearth  was  blazing.  Not 
an  empty  glass  was  to  be  seen.  The  nostrils  of  Car- 
quefou  dilated;  he  fondled  his  stomach  tenderly  with  his 
hand  as  he  passed  the  kitchens.  Here  he  accepted  a 
glass  of  Rhine  wine,  yellow  as  gold  ;  farther  on,  a  wing 
of  roast  capon,  brown  and  deliciously  crusted. 

"They  eat  and  you  eat  with  them !"  muttered  Magnus, 
glancing  sideways  at  his  comrade.  "Oh,  unhappy  one! 
To-morrow  the  enemy  will  be  in  Magdebourg." 

"That's  just  my  reason,"  replied  Carquefou.  "I  won't 
have  the  Austrians  or  Croatians  find  a  bone  to  put  be- 
tween their  teeth,"  and  he  buried  in  his  pockets  all  that  he 
could  not  swallow. 

When  night  fell  Magnus  saddled  the  horses  of 
Adrienne  and  Armand-Louis,  and  flung  under  the  beasts' 
noses  a  bushel  of  oats.  Carquefou  scrupulously  followed 
his  example. 

"We  must  neglect  nothing  that  is  good,"  he  said, 
"neither  wines  nor  precautions." 

Soon  afterward  the  steeds  of  Diana  and  Renaud  had 
no  cause  to  envy  their  neighbors.  They  were  saddled 
and  had  double  provender  in  their  troughs. 

Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  took  good  care  to  conceal 
their  fears  from  the  young  ladies.  Alagnus  might  be  mis- 
taken in  his  forebodings,  and  in  any  case  it  were  useless 
to  cause  them  a  night  of  alarm,  which  the  morrow  alone 
could  dissipate  or  justify.  They  advised  them,  however, 
to  be  ready  to  leave  at  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun. 

The  merrvmakcrs  prolonged  their  festivities  far  into 
the  night.  I'he  post  which  M.  de  Falkenberg  had  pru- 
dently placed  along  the  ramparts  to  warn  the  garrison  in 
case  of  need,  gradually  disappeared.  The  soldiers,  still 
faithful  to  the  countersign,  l)Ut  worn  out  by  manv  liba- 
tions, fell  asleep,  one  aftf  r  tin*  other.  vSilence  followed 
song  and  soon  naught  was  heard  in  the  city  bound  in 


30  THE  PROPHECY  OF  MAGNUS 

sleep,  save  the  vague  and  indescribable  noise  of  some 
good  citizens  making  staggering  endeavors  to  find  their 
homes. 

Silence  reigned  in  the  countryside  as  well.  The  dying 
bivouac  fires  lighted  the  horizon  here  and  there  when 
their  flames  were  whipped  by  the  wind. 

Meanwhile,  at  that  undecided  hour  when  pale  flashes 
of  light  spread  out  in  the  heavens  and  made  the  scattered 
trees  and  houses  in  the  plain  issue  composedly  from  the 
darkness,  a  low  rumble  arose  in  the  distance.  It  was 
regular,  such  as  would  be  caused  by  a  body  of  troops  on 
the  march. 

Magnus,  whose  anxiety  prevented  sleep,  was  wander- 
ing about  the  gates.  He  kicked  a  sentinel  and  asked 
him : 

"Don't  you  hear  anything?" 

The  sentinal  hearkened  for  a  second  and  burst  out 
laughing.  Then  he  answered :  "  'Tis  the  Croatian  cav- 
alry making  away.     'Good  luck,'  they're  saying  to  us." 

Then  pillowing  his  head  on  the  back  of  a  snoring  com- 
rade, he  closed  his  eyes. 

The  same  noise  continued  in  the  distance.  At  one 
time  Magnus  thought  it  was  moving  away. 

"  'Tis  some  witchery  !"  he  said  to  himself.  A  wavering 
white  line  on  the  other  side  of  the  Elbe  made  him  be- 
lieve that  a  cavalry  corps  was  leaving  the  Imperial  army. 

"Can  Count  Tilly  be  really  beating  retreat?"  mur- 
mured Magnus.  "Yet  he's  said  to  be  a  good  general  and 
I've  seen  him  at  work." 

He  climbed  upon  the  crest  of  the  rampart  and  gazed 
into  the  distance.  Nothing  disturbed  the  tranquillity  of 
the  devastated  country.  Not  a  man  showed  himself ;  but 
by  dint  of  scrutiny,  Magnus  thought  he  could  distinguish 
the  uncertain  movements  of  a  troop  of  soldiers  in  a  copse, 
which  stood  on  the  horizon.  Further,  it  seemed  to  him, 
that  a  thin  black  line,  whence  issued  divers  shafts  of  bril- 
liance, was  crawling  along  the  windings  of  a  hollow  road. 

The  sun  arose  and  flooded  the  plain  with  light.  A 
man  appeared  at  the  end  of  a  path,  running  breathlessly. 
He  leaped  quickly  into  the  trench,  seized  with  both  hands 


THE  PROPHECY  OP  MAGNUS  31 

a  rope  which  dangled  from  the  top  of  the  wall  and  scaled 
the  rampart  with  the  agility  of  a  cat. 

Magnus  thrust  himself  before  the  man,  in  whom  he, 
at  this  instant,  recognized  Carquefou. 

"  'Tis  true  I've  a  good  appetite,  but  I've  also  good 
legs,"  said  Carquefou.  "I  took  a  fancy  last  night  to  have 
a  stroll  in  the  neighborhootl  of  the  Imperial  camp.  I 
know  the  road,  having  crossed  it  ahorse  in  broad  day.  I 
thereupon  slipped  along  as  far  as  the  bank  of  the  Elbe, 
below  there.     Ah,  the  wretches,  they  are  all  astir!" 

"The  Imperialists?" 

"God's  death,  to  be  sure!  I'm  not  talking  of  the 
Swedes.  Artillery,  cavalry,  infantry — all  are  marching 
together.  I  recognized  Count  Pappenheim  on  horse- 
back, wearing  his  cuirass  and  leading  ten  regiments. 
The  cavalrymen  have  their  sabres  in  their  fists,  the  in- 
fantry their  pikes  or  their  guns  on  their  shoulders. 
They'll  reach  Magdebourg  before  an  hour's  time." 

"And  vou  are  bound  at  this  pace,  whither?'' 

"To  M.  de  Falkenberg." 

"Thou  art  a  man,  Carquefou  !" 

"Who  knows?  Who  knows?  I'm  afraid  of  being 
caught  like  a  hare  in  his  burrow,  that's  all." 

Carquefou  and  the  veteran  hurried  on  their  way, 
stumbling  over  these  evidences  of  a  holiday  which  was 
to  be  followed  by  so  sinister  an  awakening.  They  had 
hardly  gained  the  doors  of  the  town  hall  when  the  crash 
of  musketry  was  heard  from  afar. 

"Alas,  'tis  too  late!"  said  Carquefou.  But  Magnus, 
drawing  his  sword,  leaped  up  the  stairway  of  the  castle, 
yelling: 

"To  arms !     To  arms  !" 

While  talking  they  had  reached  the  next  street.  Be- 
tween tables  and  benches  citizens  were  sleeping  heavily 
and  barred  the  way.  Magnus  and  Carquefou  kicked 
some  of  them,  crying: 

"To  arms!     To  arms!     The  enemy  is  coming!" 

Two  or  three  of  the  sleepers  awoke  and  stood  up 
drowsily.     One  of  them  recognized  Magnus. 


32  THE  PROPHECY  OF  MAGNUS 

"Ah,  the  man  of  Maastricht,"  he  said,  and  promptly 
dropped  down  to  dream  again. 

"Oh,  what  fools,  who  have  eyes  and  do  not  see,  ears, 
and  do  not  hear!"  exclaimed  Magnus. 


WITH  FIRE  AND  SWORD  33 


CHAPTER  IV. 

WITH  FIRE  AND  SWORD. 

At  the  cry  raised  by  Magnus,  M.  de  Falkenberg,  who, 
surrounded  by  his  officers,  had  been  on  the  watch,  leaped 
outside.  Repeated  charges  of  musketry  thundered  in  the 
new  city.  The  sound  of  the  tocsin  was  now  mingled  with 
them. 

"To  arms!"  repeated  the  Swede,  then  gathering  the 
iiandful  of  soldiers  and  volunteers  he  had  beside  him,  M. 
de  Falkenberg  rushed  ownard  to  meet  the  enemy. 

As  they  reached  the  end  of  the  square  they  met  Ar- 
mand-Louis  and  Renaud,  who,  while  retreating,  were 
animating  a  group  of  surprised  and  routed  citizens  to  ad- 
vance to  the  fray. 

The  sight  of  the  Swedish  uniforms  gave  courage  to 
the  citizens.     They  stopped. 

"Forward  !"  commanded  Falkenberg,  flinging  himself 
first  upon  the  Imperialists. 

"Forward  !"  repeated  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud. 

The  burgomaster,  half  frightened  out  of  his  wits,  had 
followed  Falkenberg.  He  caught  sight  of  Magnus,  who 
was  brandishing  Baliverne. 

"Ah,  why  did  I  not  believe  you?"  he  groaned. 

"The  time  for  weeping  is  past  and  steady  now  and 
let's  make  holiday  with  our  sv/ords !"  returned  the  vet- 
eran. 

"And  later  we'll  make  holiday  with  our  spurs,  if  we  get 
the  chance,"  added  Carquefou. 

Before  them  were  the  Walloon  companies,  led  to  the 
assault  by  Count  Pappenheim.  At  the  first  dash  they 
planted  the  colors  of  the  Emperor  upon  the  ramparts  of 
the  new  city,  while  John  of  Werth,  at  the  head  of  the  Ba- 
varian regiments,  struck  at  the  opposite  side  of  Magde- 
bourg. 


34  WITH  FIRE  AND  SWORD 

The  attack  had  been  made  with  as  much  promptitude 
as  skill ;  after  a  decoy  retreat,  this  was  a  rapid  and  terri- 
ble return.  The  tactics  forespoken  by  Magnus  had  in 
reality  been  the  strategy  of  old  Count  Tilly ;  the  execu- 
tion of  them  had  been  confided  to  his  most  daring  lieu- 
tenants, at  the  head  of  his  best  troops. 

Almost  without  striking  a  blow  they  had  reached  the 
heart  of  Magdebourg  on  a  gallop ;  but  then  they  met  Fal- 
kenberg  and  his  Swedes. 

Electrified  by  their  example  and  that  of  Armand-Louis 
and  Renaud,  who  rallied  to  the  charge  the  soldiers  and 
volunteers  they  had  collected,  they  broke  the  first  ranks 
of  the  Walloons  and  drove  them  back  to  the  ramparts. 

But  new  cries  arose  at  the  other  side  of  the  city.  The 
ominous  crash  of  musketry  resounded  more  rapidly  and 
more  loudly  every  minute.  A  great  number  of  the  fugi- 
tives fiung  themselves  amid  the  Swedes,  filling  the  air 
with  clamors  of  terror. 

A  man,  whose  breast  had  been  pierced  by  a  bullet,  fell 
at  the  feet  of  Falkenberg,  saying,  "John  of  Werth !" 

Then  he  gasped  and  died. 

Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  looked  at  each  other.  Be- 
fore them  Count  Pappenheim,  behind  them  John  of 
Werth.  Their  two  implacable  enemies  were  united  to 
conquer  them.  They  were  thinking  of  Adrienne  and 
Diana. 

"We  must  not  separate  now,"  said  Armand-Louis  to 
Renaud.  Then,  addressing  Falkenberg,  "Sir,  do  you  see 
to  Count  Pappenheim  and  his  Walloons.  We'll  attend  to 
John  of  Werth  and  his  Bavarians." 

At  this  moment  Magdebourg  was  a  fearful  spectacle. 
Women  and  children,  dragged  from  their  slumber,  ran 
hither  and  thither  in  the  streets  and  squares,  where  the 
citizens,  deprived  of  their  leaders,  sought  to  reunite  their 
forces.  Most  of  them  took  refuge  in  the  churches,  whose 
domes  resounded  with  shrieks.  The  bells  rang  madly, 
calling  all  citizens  to  defend  the  common  cause.  Mus- 
ketry shrieked  from  all  sides  simultaneously.  Volleys  of 
bullets,  landing  at  the  crossways,  struck  down  hundreds 
of  wretches  who  augmented  the  confusion  by  their 
groans.      Already  gruesome  flashes  of  lire  illuminated 


WITH  FIRE  AND  SWORD  35 

several  quarters  of  Magdebourg.  Long  columns  of 
smoke  mounted  to  heaven,  while  the  flames  approached 
ever  nearer.  New  and  more  numerous  hordes  burst  into 
the  city ;  driven  back,  they  returned  to  the  charge  with 
more  furious  impetuosity  and  their  mass  rendered  the  re- 
sistance of  desperation  all  in  vain.  That  which  the  bat- 
tleax  did  not  destroy,  the  torch  devoured.  The  cannons 
of  the  city,  turned  around  upon  the  city,  vomited  destruc- 
tion upon  it.  Whole  rows  of  houses  crumbled  in  clouds 
of  cinders.  All  that  came  within  reach  of  sabre  or 
musket  perished.  Horror  and  awe  were  at  the  height, 
when  the  gates  forced  inward  by  cannon  balls,  opened  a 
passage  for  the  Croatian  cavalry.  It  came  like  a  torrent, 
wrecking  all  in  its  path. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  the  horses  were  pawing  in  blood. 

Meanwhile  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  held  head 
against  John  of  Werth.  Magnus  and  Carquefou  were  in 
the  foremost  rank.  The  Bavarians  found  themselves 
before  a  wall  of  bronze.  From  time  to  time  Magnus 
looked  behind  him.  This  astonished  Carquefou.  A 
band  of  harrassed  but  ever  fighting  soldiers  appeared  at 
the  corner  of  the  street.  ^Magnus  recognized  the  Swed- 
ish uniform.  Falkenberg  was  not  there.  Magnus 
knocked  over  a  Bavarian  who  persisted  in  attacking  him 
and  leaped  toward  the  Swedes. 

"M.  de  Falkenberg?"  he  asked  of  a  young  officer,  all 
covered  with  blood. 

"An  Austrian  ball  killed  him,"  replied  the  officer. 

A  thunder  of  wild  shouts  burst  on  the  air.  The  Wal- 
loons pressed  forward.  Magnus  rejoined  Armand-Louis, 
saying : 

"The  city's  lost!" 

"Eh?"  said  Armand-Louis.  "Then  let's  make  one 
more  effort  and  save  those  confided  to  our  care." 

All  four,  Armand-Louis,  Renaud,  Magnus  and  Car- 
quefou rushed  f(jrward  anrl  fell  upon  tlie  Bavarians, 
breaking  their  ranks  as  a  battering  ram  breaks  a  wall.  An 
empty  space  lay  before  them. 

"Honor  is  saved!"  cried  Armand-Louis,  "now  to  the 
gallop !" 

Then  all  four  rlisappeared  down  a  little  street.     A  few 


36  WITH  FIRE  AND  SWORD 

minutes  later,  grouped  about  Adrienne  and  Diana,  they 
were  seeking  a  means  of  escape  from  the  burning  city. 

At  this  crisis,  the  unhappy  defenders  of  Magdebourg 
who  stih  stood,  resisted  only  to  sell  their  lives  dearly. 
Each  soldier  fell  in  turn.  The  Croatians,  spread  broad- 
cast, leaped  ahorse  and  rode  into  the  churches,  pitilessly 
massacring  the  flocks  of  kneeling  women.  Their  sabres 
never  wearied. 

Pillage  followed  carnage.  A  terror-stricken  mob, 
hunted  from  the  houses,  ran  wildly  through  the  city, 
pursued  by  troops  whom  the  intoxication  of  victory  and 
blood  rendered  implacable.  They  killed  for  the  sake  of 
killing;  they  burned  simply  to  destroy.  Conflagration 
raged  from  street  to  street. 

In  the  midst  of  this  furnace,  which  had  been  Magde- 
bourg, Armand-Louis  and  his  companions  attempted  to 
open  a  passage  to  the  gates.  But  what  obstacles  in  their 
way !  Here  a  street  was  blockaded  by  a  fallen  steeple, 
reeking  a  cloud  of  black  smoke  ;  farther  on,  a  company  of 
Walloons  was  firing  an  entire  district  and  driving  the  in- 
habitants into  the  flames  at  the  point  of  pikes.  Yet  the 
four  soldiers  continued  to  advance,  protected  in  some 
wise  by  the  tumult  and  terror  of  this  work  of  annihilation. 
If  Croatian  or  Hungarian  cavaliers  came  dangerously 
close,  the  sword  of  Renaud  or  of  Magnus  soon  felled 
them  to  earth.  Adrienne  and  Diana,  all  quivering  with 
awe,  closed  their  eyes  while  their  horses  leaped  over 
corpses.  When  a  numerous  troop  of  the  Imperialists 
was  seen  afar  ofif,  the  fugitives  hid  themselves  behind  a 
smoking  wall  or  under  the  fallen  and  smouldering  dome 
of  some  chapel.  The  troop  once  passed,  they  proceeded 
on  their  way. 

Suddenly  a  company  of  cavaliers  rode  before  them, 
while  they  were  turning  the  corner  of  a  still  burning 
building.  The  riders  were  galloping  behind  a  man,  who 
wore  a  doublet  of  green  satin,  and  who  seemed  to  be  their 
leader.  A  scarlet  plume  waved  from  his  grey  cap,  brush- 
ing his  shoulder.  He  had  a  thin  profile,  a  red  beard  and 
the  look  of  a  wolf. 

"Count  Tilly,"  murmured  Magnus.    Carquefou  crossed 


WITH  FIRE  AND  SWORD  37 

himself,  then  raising  a  musket,  hooked  to  his  saddle-bow, 
whicli  he  had  reserved  for  a  supreme  occasion,  he  said : 

"If  he  turns  around,  'tis  to  look  his  last  on  the  sun." 

The  squadron  passed.  A  man  galloped  up  to  the  side 
of  Count  Tilly.  A  great  mantle  of  green  cloth  enveloped 
his  form. 

"If  that's  not  the  Duke  of  Saxe-Laucnbourg,"  said 
Armand-Louis,  "it  is  his  phantom." 

Carquefou  replaced  his  musket  in  position,  saying: 
"Here's  a  ball  that  loses  the  chance  to  lodge  itself  in  the 
body  of  an  illustrious  cutthroat." 

They  had  almost  gained  the  ramparts  when  a  body  of 
citizens,  all  covered  with  blood,  rushed  past  them,  pur- 
sued by  a  regiment  of  Imperialists. 

"Ah !  'twere  better  to  die  here  than  flee  farther,"  cried 
one  of  the  citizens. 

They  all  retreated  to  the  bottom  of  a  garden.  Armand- 
Louis  glanced  about  him.  Naught  could  be  seen  on 
any  side  but  pikes  and  muskets,  menacing  visages  and 
bloody  sabres.  The  torrent  of  citizens  had  borne  them 
along  into  the  garden,  which  was  protected  on  three  sides 
by  an  old  wall. 

While  Armand-Louis  was  seeking  a  breach,  a  troop  of 
soldiers  followed  upon  the  citizens  into  the  garden. 

"Death  to  the  heretics !  Death  to  the  rebels !"  cried  a 
Walloon  officer ;  and  a  volley  of  bullets  flew,  decimating 
the  mutilated  ranks  of  the  citizens. 

The  horse  of  Adrienne  began  to  rear  and  fell  upon  its 
haunches.  Armand-Louis  quickly  lifted  her  off  and  set 
her  behind  him  on  his  steed. 

"Fly!"  he  said  to  Renaud,  "I  will  follow  you  if  I  can." 

"There's  a  bit  of  advice,"  retorted  Renaud,  "which  I'd 
make  you  answer  for  in  the  field  were  there  not  a  thou- 
sand murderers  crowding  upon  us  from  all  sides." 

But  already  Diana  had  come  to  Adrienne,  and  seizing 
her  hand,  said  : 

"Thy  lot  shall  be  mine!" 

They  might  still  crcjss  the  walls  of  the  garden  and  gain 
the  rampart,  had  it  not  been  that  the  horse  of  Armand- 
Louis  suffered  from  two  wounds,  in  addition  to  his  double 
burden. 


38  WITH  FIRE  AND  SWORD 

Suddenly  Magnus  dismounted,  and  pointing  to  one 
end  of  the  street  with  his  sword,  said : 

"John  of  Werth !" 

"And  Captain  Jacobus !"  exclaimed  Carquefou,  dis- 
mounting in  turn. 

Then  each  offered  the  bridle  of  his  horse  to  Armand- 
Louis. 

"No;  no;  not  at  that  price,"  cried  the  Huguenot. 

John  of  Werth  had  already  caught  sight  of  them  and 
pointing  them  out  to  Captain  Jacobus,  he  cried  : 

"This  time  they're  mine." 

Gathering  his  Bavarians  about  him,  he  dashed  into  the 
garden.  At  the  same  instant  another  troop  of  cavalry 
appeared  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  street.  Their 
cuirasses  bespattered  with  blood  blazed  in  the  sunlight. 
They  marched  in  good  order,  swords  erect,  following  the 
pace  of  the  chief  at  their  head. 

"Ah,  Count  Pappenheim !"  cried  Armand-Louis,  as  he 
recognized  this  personage, 

"A  tiger  and  a  lion,"  said  Carquefou,  regarding  in  turn 
the  Bavarian  captain  and  the  Grand  Marshal  of  the  Em- 
pire. 

"Let  all  follow  me !"  commanded  Armand-Louis  in  a 
loud  voice. 

Bursting  out  of  the  garden  in  the  teeth  of  the  Croatians 
and  Walloons,  striking  and  felling  all  who  impeded  his 
passage,  he  opened  a  bloody  path  up  to  the  cuirassiers  of 
Pappenheim,  who  gazed  astounded  at  the  havoc  four 
swords  had  wrought. 

"Count  Pappenheim,"  said  Armand-Louis  to  his  terri- 
ble rival,  "here  are  two  gentlewomen  whom  I  entrust  to 
your  loyalty.  If  you  are  really  he  who  is  called  The 
Soldier,  save  them.  As  for  myself  and  the  Marquis  of 
Chaufontaine,  we  are  your  prisoners.  Here  is  my 
sword." 

"Here  is  mine,"  added  Renaud. 

John  of  Werth  had  just  ridden  over  the  bodies  of  the 
citizens  retrenched  in  the  garden.  He  had  now  arrived 
at  the  group  formed  by  Adrienne  and  Diana. 

"At  last,"  he  said. 

Almost  at  once  his  hand  grasped  the  arm  of  Adrienne, 


WITH  FIRE  AND  SWORD  39 

as  the  talons  of  a  vulture  upon  the  trembling  wing  of  a 
dove. 

But  Count  Pappenheim,  swift  as  thunder,  rode  between 
the  maiden  and  the  Bavarian,  saying  in  an  imperious 
tone : 

"Baron,  you  forget  that  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  is 
in  my  care.     Who  touches  her,  touches  me." 

The  glances  of  the  two  captains  crossed  with  the  glitter 
of  swordblades.  But  Count  Pappenheim  was  surrounded 
by  his  cuirassiers,  who  were  devoted  to  him.  John  of 
Werth  understood  that  he  could  not  be  the  more  power- 
ful.    He  lowered  the  point  of  his  sabre. 

"Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny,  prisoner  of  a  general  of 
Emperor  Ferdinand,"  he  said.  "I  do  not  dispute  her 
with  you.  Her  ransom  will  go  into  the  treasury  of  His 
Roman  and  Apostolic  Majesty,  together  with  that  of 
Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan." 

Then  bowing  to  Diana,  he  added  : 

"This  is  a  capture  which  Count  Tilly,  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  Imperial  army  and  an  acquaintance  of  the 
Marquis  of  Pardaillan,  your  father,  will  thoroughly  ap- 
preciate. 

Then  he  retired  slowly. 


40  COUNT  PAPPENHEIM'S  NOBILITY 


CHAPTER  V. 

COUNT  PAPPENHEIM'S  NOBILITY. 

The  name  of  Count  Tilly,  which  has  been  mentioned 
in  the  preceding  colloquy,  had  a  meaning  which  did  not 
escape  Count  Pappenheim.  It  made  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  army  a  kind  of  umpire  between  Made- 
moiselle de  Souvigny  and  of  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan. 
John  of  Werth  would  not  tarry  to  inform  him  of  what  had 
occurred,  and  Count  Tilly  would  be  sure  to  assert  his 
absolute  authority,  thus  leaving  Count  Pappenheim  no 
longer  free  to  act  as  he  should  have  desired.  His  first 
thought  was  to  pay  the  debt  of  gratitude  he  owed  Ar- 
mand-Louis  by  restoring  to  him  his  freedom  and  Made- 
moiselle de  Souvigny.  This  would  be  the  most  noble 
means  of  showing  the  French  gentleman  that  he  under- 
stood great  deeds  and  could  imitate  him  in  the  practice 
of  heroic  devotion.  But  did  the  young  ladies  still  belong 
to  him,  now  that  the  name  of  His  Majesty,  the  Emperor, 
had  been  mentioned  ? 

As  he  had  anticipated,  John  of  Werth  did  not  lose  a 
minute  in  going  to  Count  Tilly  and  relating  to  him  the 
scene  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness.  The  avidity  of  the 
terrible  general  knew  no  bounds ;  excited  by  the  riches, 
which  long  wars  and  rapine  had  permitted  him  to  amass, 
he  thought  unceasingly  of  some  means  to  increase  them. 
Even  as  he  named  the  two  prisoners  which  fate  had  led 
into  the  Imperial  camp,  John  of  Werth  hastened  to  re- 
mind Count  Tilly  that  they  were  connected  by  blood  with 
the  richest  and  noblest  lords  of  Sweden.  If  the  laws  of 
war  gave  them  to  one  of  his  lieutenants,  was  it  not  just 
that  a  part  of  their  ransom  should  be  given  to  the  gen- 
eralissimo of  the  army? 

"Further,"  added  John  of  Werth,  "you  know  that 
Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan,  Countess  of  Mummelberg, 
by  her  mother's  side,  is  by  birth  quite  as  much  a  Bo- 


COUNT  rAPPENIIEIM'S  NOBILITY  41 

hcmian  as  a  Swede,  and.  therefore,  subject  to  his  Majesty, 
the  Emperor,  our  master.  Slie  possesses  rich  tracts  in 
Austria,  wliich  have  been  sequestrated.  Part  of  them 
may  be  the  reward  of  him  who  conducts  her  to  the  feet 
of  her  legitimate  sovereign." 

The  eyes  of  Count  Tilly  gleamed  with  a  ferocious 
covetousness. 

"Now,"  thought  John  of  Werth,  "Adrienne  will  always 
be  within  reach  of  my  claws." 

Shortly  thereafter  a  messenger  from  Count  Tilly  in- 
formed Count  Pappenheim  that  the  Commander-in-Chief 
was  awaiting  him  in  the  very  palace  Falkenbcrg  had  oc- 
cupied the  day  before,  when  it  was  the  scene  of  so  much 
rejoicing  and  festivity. 

"Do  not  leave  this  house,"  said  Count  Pappenheim  to 
Armand-Louis  as  he  resumed  his  armor,  "neither  you  nor 
any  of  your  friends.  The  city  belongs  to  Count  Tilly; 
this  house  belongs  to  me." 

He  placed  before  the  door,  on  which  his  name  was  in- 
scribed in  chalk,  a  platoon  of  his  cuirassiers,  commanded 
them  to  allow  entrance  to  none,  no  matter  under  what 
pretext,  and  then  betook  himself  to  the  conqueror  of 
Magdebourg. 

It  was  not  long  ere  the  names  of  the  two  young  ladies 
were  pronounced. 

"I  was  expecting  this."  thought  Count  Pappenheim, 
glancing  at  John  of  Werth. 

John  of  \Vcrth  was  stroking  his  nuistache. 

"This  is  an  important  capture,"  Count  Tilly  continued. 
"One  of  the  young  ladies  has  wealth  enough  to  save  her 
guardian  the  trouble  of  counting  it.  The  other  is  de- 
scended from  one  of  the  most  considerable  families  in 
Germany.  Her  perversity  in  heresy,  or  even  some  clever 
arrangement  may  be  reason  sufficient  to  pass  the  land 
she  possesses  into  the  hands  of  the  crown.  Besides, 
Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  is  the  heiress  of  a  gentleman, 
who  not  onlv  is  known  to  be  immensely  wealthy,  but  who 
is  also  the  counsellor  and  confidant  of  our  implacable 
encmv.  I  claim  these  prisoners,  therefore,  in  the  name 
of  mv  sovereign.  They  may  be  able  to  serve  our  cause 
well." 


42  COUNT  PAPPENHEIM'S  NOBILITY 

"When  he  knows  they  are  in  our  hands,"  interposed 
John  of  Werth,  "the  Marquis  of  Pardaillan  will  surely 
come  to  the  Imperial  camp  at  once,  to  treat  of  their  ran- 
som." 

"Who  can  say,"  added  Count  Tilly,  "whether  the  hopes 
of  liberating  them  quickly  and  without  ransom  will  not 
induce  him  to  confide  to  us  the  secrets  of  his  master? 
Why  should  he  not  reveal  the  plans  of  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus,  when  all  that  is  dearest  to  him  in  life  is  at  stake?" 

"The  Marquis  of  Pardaillan  is  a  warrior,"  Count  Pap- 
penheim  hastened  to  reply,  "and  he  will  never  do  what 
you  yourselves  would  refuse  to  do,  though  you  had  ten 
naked  swords  at  your  heart." 

"Then  he'll  dive  down  deep  into  his  coffers  and  empty 
them,  if  he  desires  to  get  his  daughter  and  his  ward  back 
to  Sweden.  In  default  of  revelations,  which  the  vic- 
torious armies  of  His  Majesty  can  dispense  with,  our 
master,  Emperor  Ferdinand,  will  have  gold  to  pay  some 
of  his  faithful  soldiers." 

"Gold  !"  cried  Count  Pappenheim,  looking  the  old  gen- 
oral  straight  in  the  eyes.  "There  was  enough  of  it  in 
Magdebourg  to  keep  a  big  army  for  three  months.  What 
has  become  of  it?" 

The  deep-set  eyes  of  Count  Tilly  flashed,  but  without 
replying  directly  to  the  question  of  a  captain,  whose  vio- 
lence and  whose  popularity  he  well  knew*  he  said : 

"The  dispatch  which  bears  the  news  of  the  capture  of 
Magdebourg  to  Munich  and  to  Vienna  contains  the 
names  of  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  and  Mademoiselle 
de  Pardaillan  among  the  principal  prisoners." 

"I  do  not  doubt,"  added  John  of  Werth,  "but  that  the 
Emperor  will  hasten  to  summon  them  to  his  court.  They 
will  adorn  it  with  their  beauty  as  the  daughters  of  the 
Eastern  princes  adorned  the  court  of  Alexander  of  Mace- 
don." 

Since  the  Emperor  Ferdinand  was  thus  informed, 
Count  Pappenheim  could  no  longer  think  of  executing 
his  generous  project.  This  was  the  stroke  of  too  clever 
a  hand. 

"If  the  Emperor,  my  master,  orders  them  to  his  pres- 
ence, I  myself  will  be  the  guide  r.nd  protector  of  Made- 


COUNT  PAPrENHEIM'S  NOBILITY  43 

moiselle  de  Pardaillan  and  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny," 
replied  the  grand-marshal. 

"They  could  not  be  in  better  hands,"  cried  John  of 
Werth.     "I  doubt  only  whether  His  Majesty  will  conser*^ 
to  be  deprived  of  the  services  of  a  chief  who  knows  ho\ 
to  enchain  victory  to  his  sword." 

"Oh,  Bavaria  can  furnish  captains  to  replace  me." 

John  of  Werth  smiled  and  was  silent.  He  did  not  des- 
pair of  yet  finding  an  efficacious  means  to  force  the  mar- 
shal of  the  empire  to  separate  himself  from  his  prisoners. 
What  was  important  to  him  was  to  see  that  they  were 
not  returned  at  once  to  the  camp  of  Gustavus  i\dolphus. 

"I  have  been  told  also,"  said  Count  Tilly,  "that  you 
have  two  French  gentlemen  as  prisoners." 

"The  Count  of  La  Guerche  and  the  Marquis  of  Chau- 
fontaine,"  added  John  of  Werth. 
lis  true. 

"What  a  windfall !"  connnented  John  of  Werth  care- 
lessly. "Two  desperate  enemies  to  the  imperial  cause. 
They  shan't  appear  at  court.  A  good  tight  lodging  in 
the  state's  prison  will  do  for  them." 

"You  forget,  I  believe,"  replied  Count  Pappcnheim, 
rising  haughtily,  "that  these  two  gentlemen  gave  up  their 
swords  to  me." 

"Ah,  I  understand,"  retorted  John  of  Werth,  "your  in- 
tention is  to  restore  to  them  liberty.     That's  chivalr> — " 

"Such  as  yourself  practiced  one  day ;  if  I  remember 
aright,  when  you  restored  his  liberty  to  the  Marquis  of 
Pardaillan  at  the  battle  of  Lutter,"  interrupted  Count 
Pappenheim. 

John  of  Werth  bit  his  lips.  The  argument  was  un- 
answerable. 

"Am  I  not  concerned  in  this?"  cried  Count  Tilly.  "I 
believe  the  smoking  ruins  of  Magdebourg  which  sur- 
round us  are  sufficient  proof  that  I  command  Magde- 
bourg." 

"If  you  arc  generalissimo  of  the  army,  I  believe  I  am 
the  hereditary  marshal  of  the  empire.  What  I  have 
taken,  none  dare  touch." 

"Count,  do  you  know  to  whom  you  are  speaking?" 


44  COUNT  PAPPENHEIM'S  NOBILITY 

"Count  Tilly,  you  are  speaking  to  Count  Pappenheim, 
That  much  I  know." 

The  two  chiefs  glared  at  each  other  like  two  lions  meet- 
ing in  the  desert  to  drink  at  the  same  spring;  the  one 
with  all  the  haughty  command  with  which  he  was  in- 
vested, the  other  with  all  the  arrogance  of  the  race 
whence  he  sprung.  The  same  pallor  clouded  each  brow. 
If  pushed  to  extremes  Count  Pappenheim  might  depart 
and  not  the  whole  army  could  stop  him  at  the  head  of  his 
cuirassiers ;  mayhap  even  a  goodly  part  of  it  would  follow 
in  his  train;  and  it  meant  risking  all  to  exact  all. 

"Gentlemen,"  cried  John  of  Werth,  "what  boots  us  the 
life  of  two  captains,  whose  ransom  is  not  even  ten  crowns 
of  gold?  On  the  contrary,  it  is  well  that  the  enemy 
should  know  the  contempt  in  which  we  hold  their  swords. 
They  will  tell  the  Swedes  what  fate  the  army  of  Count 
Tilly  reserves  for  whomsoever  resists.  This  surname  of 
'Invincible,'  which  it  has  so  long  deserved,  they'll  find  it 
deserves  more  than  ever." 

This  flattery,  adroitly  put,  banished  the  anger  of  the 
general.  A  little  smile  spread  over  his  face,  as  he  re- 
turned : 

"John  of  Werth  is  right.  Let  the  marshal  of  the  em- 
pire do  as  he  pleases  with  the  two  adventurers,  which 
chance  has  placed  in  his  way." 

The  conference  was  ended.  Count  Pappenheim  slowly 
returned  to  the  house  before  which  stood  the  guard  of 
cuirassiers.  He  had  just  bearded  a  man  who  did  not 
easily  forgive,  and  he  knew  John  of  Werth  enough  to  be 
assured  that  he  would  not  abandon  his  schemes,  though 
he  had  adjourned  them.  He  must  therefore  place  the 
Count  of  La  Guerche  and  the  Marquis  of  Chaufontaine 
beyond  the  reach  of  any  hostile  hand. 

His  manner,  as  he  entered  the  room  occupied  by  the 
two  gentlemen,  gave  them  to  understand  that  something 
had  happened.  Adrienne  and  Diana  clung  close  togeth- 
er like  two  doves  at  the  approach  of  a  vulture. 

"You  know  whence  I  come,"  said  Count  Pappenheim. 
"Nothing  is  lost ;  but  you  must  separate." 

"Separate?"  echoed  Adrienne. 

"The  name  of  one  against  whom  I  can  do  nothing,  an 


COUNT  PAPPENIIEIM'S  NOBILITY  45 

august  name,  has  been  pronounced ;  Mademoiselle  de 
Souvigny  is  the  prisoner  of  His  Majesty  Ferdinand,  thf 
Emperor  of  Germanv.  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  as 
well." 

Adrienne  was  too  much  shocked  to  reply.  Count  Pap 
penheim  profited  of  this  silence  to  relate  to  them  wha< 
had  passed  at  the  abode  of  Count  Tilly.  When  they 
learned  that  their  companions  were  to  be  sent  either  to 
Munich  or  \'ienna,  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  leaped 
like  two  panthers  whose  hips  have  been  pierced  with  ar- 
rows. 

"Both  prisoners?     And  we?"  they  cried. 

"You,  gentlemen,  are  free." 

"  'Tis  treason,"  exclaimed  Renaud. 

"There's  a  word,  Sir,"  retorted  the  marshal,  slightly 
jialing,  "which  I  should  make  you  answer  for,  were  you 
not  my  guest.  I  did  all  in  human  power  to  save  you  ;  but 
I'm  not  master,  nor  am  I  Ferdinand  of  Hapsburg,  before 
whose  name  the  haughtiest  heads  bow.  Yet  be  assured, 
for  the  young  ladies  are  under  my  charge." 

"And  you  will  answer  for  them  on  your  life,  your 
honor?"  cried  .Krmand-Louis. 

"There's  no  need  to  remind  me  of  it,  Count,  but  mean- 
while, gentlemen,  you  had  better  leave." 

"So  soon  ?"  queried  Armand-Louis,  drawing  near  Ad- 
rienne. 

"The  sooner  the  better." 

"What  do  you  fear?"  asked  Adrienne. 

"I  fear  nothing  and  I  mistrust  everything.  Do  I  know 
what  the  general  in  command  of  Magdcbourg  will  decide 
to-night?  There  is  a  man  close  to  him  who  hates  you 
all  and  he  may  be  fertile  of  evil  counsel." 

"Oh,  go  then,  go  quickly,"  said  Adrienne. 

Armand-Louis  arose  and  said  shortly: 

"Let  us  understand  well.  Count  Pappenhcim  is  for 
us,  is  it  true?" 

"It  is,"  replied  the  count. 

"We  are  beneath  your  roof  and  I  see  below  mc  cuir- 
assiers, who.  at  a  signal  from  their  general,  would  all  die 
to  protect  this  house." 

"All." 


46  COUNT  PAPPENHEIM'S  NOBILITY 

"But  against  us  we  have  Count  Tilly,  John  of  Werth 
and  an  army." 

"That  is  to  say,  might,  machination  and  spleen." 

"Then  if  we  heed  your  advice  we'll  leave  to-night." 

"Within  an  hour." 

"And  we'll  make  straightway  for  the  Swedish  out- 
posts?" 

"Without  looking  back." 

Adrienne  and  Diana  felt  a  chill  run  through  them. 
Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  started. 

"Ah,  I  understand,"  said  the  grand-marshal  of  the  em- 
pire, "You  have  a  thousand  things  to  say,  a  thousand 
confidences  to  exchange — perhaps  even  you  have  to  un- 
dertake a  deliverance  which  is  the  sum  of  all  your 
prayers." 

"  'Tis  true,"  cried  Renaud,  "and  which  we  shall  obtain 
with  God's  aid  and  our  swords." 

"Remain  then.  I  allow  you  a  night.  'Tis  an  im- 
prudence, but  perhaps  this  imprudence  will  enable  me  the 
better  to  provide  for  your  retreat.  Besides,  I'll  not  at- 
tempt to  combat  the  counsels  of  love.  My  experience 
has  taught  me  the  follies  it  inspires.  Happy  we  are  when 
they  are  still  only  follies  !" 

This  allusion  to  the  incidents  of  their  meeting  at  La 
Grande  Fortelle  caused  Adrienne's  visage  to  mantle  with 
a  veil  of  purple.  In  it  Armand-Louis  beheld  the  proof 
that  Count  Pappenheim  was  not  the  man  he  had  hitherto 
judged  him,  and  he  proffered  his  hand  impulsively. 

Renaud,  touched  by  this  action,  approached  the  mar- 
shal, saying : 

"You  have  in  your  hands  two  gentlewomen,  whom  a 
good  resolution,  an  impulse  of  the  heart  may  make  free. 
Are  you  not  of  a  name  to  brave  the  anger  of  Count  Tilly, 
of  a  rank  to  coerce  even  the  Emperor,  your  master,  to 
respect?  Say  the  word  and  these  two  women  will  bless 
you." 

Without  answering  Count  Pappenheim  threw  open  the 
window  violentlv,  then  said : 

"Behold!" 

The  two  young  men,  behind  whom  Adrienne  and 
Diana  grouped  themselves,  saw  by  the  light  of  flame,  a 


COUNT  PAPPENHEIM'S  NOBILITY  47 

black  curtain  of  soldiers,  whence  issued  the  flashes  of 
pikes  and  muskets. 

"There  are  the  Walloons ;  beyond,  the  Bavarian  com- 
panies," continued  the  count.  "Oh,  John  of  Werth  laid 
all  his  plans  well.  Do  you  desire  a  battle  in  which  all 
four  of  you  may  perish  ?" 

"  'Tis  nothing  to  us,  but  to  them  !"  said  Armand-Louis. 

"I  would  not  have  waited  for  your  request,"  said  the 
count,  closing  the  window,  "if  it  had  been  possible  for  me 
to  grant  it.  But  where  Tilly  commands,  where  John  of 
Werth  sleeps,  a  tiger  and  a  wolf,  gentlemen,  we  must 
hope  in  God.  To-day  is  theirs ;  to-morrow,  perhaps, 
mav  be  ours !" 


48  A  MONK  WITH  AN  APPETITE 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  MONK  WITH  AN  APPETITE. 

While  the  preceding  events  were  taking  place  in  one 
corner  of  Magdebourg  a  Capuchin  monk  was  prowling 
about  a  house  which  the  quartermasters  of  the  army  had 
marked  as  the  headquarters  of  John  of  Werth.  He  was 
as  long  as  a  ladder,  as  thin  as  the  paw  of  a  hare,  dry  as 
a  bit  of  twine  and  pale  as  a  birch.  His  restless  eyes  lost 
sight  of  nothing  about  him ;  they  were  ever  moving  and 
flashed  darkly  with  a  certain  something  both  savage  and 
feline  in  their  glance,  that  reminded  one  of  the  eyes  of  a 
wild  beast.  At  times  the  monk  forgot  to  answer  the  sol- 
diers who,  charged  with  booty,  asked  his  benediction  in 
passing ;  at  others  he  bestowed  a  careless  sign  of  the  cross 
upon  them  with  his  right  hand  and  a  smile  that  bore  more 
of  covetousness  than  of  humility.  He  never  went  far 
from  the  house,  which  was  guarded  by  a  Bavarian  sen- 
tinel pacing  up  and  down  monotonously. 

Night  fell  and  quiet  reigned.  Some  of  the  houses 
which  were  still  blazing  cast  their  red  flames  toward  the 
sombre  sky.  Then  in  a  neighboring  street  the  sound  of 
hurrying  and  heavy-booted  feet  was  heard.  Soon  the 
shadow  of  the  Capuchin  was  outlined  against  the  wall  of 
a  building  illuminated  by  flames.  He  was  leaning  for- 
ward to  see  the  better. 

"It  is  he !"  the  monk  murmured.  "Play  fast  and  an 
hour  may  restore  what  chance  lost  to  me." 

At  this  moment  John  of  Werth  arrived  in  front  of  the 
house.  The  Capuchin  accosted  him  and  crossing  his 
arms  on  his  breast,  bowed  with  a  contrite  air,  saying : 

"Will  my  lord  John  of  Werth  deign  to  lose  five  min- 
utes of  his  precious  time  to  listen  to  an  humble  servant  of 
the  Church?" 

"Now?"  asked  the  Bavarian. 

"Now,  if  it  pleases  your  lordship ;"  and  he  added  in  a 


A  MONK  WITH  AN  APPETITE  49 

lower  tone,  "it  concerns  a  person  claimed  by  hell,  whom 
my  lord  John  of  Werth  honors  with  a  particular  hatred. 
I  mean  the  Count  of  La  Guerche." 

John  of  Werth  scrutinized  the  monk  sharply  and  said : 

"Father,  would  you  be  frightened  by  a  venison  patty, 
flanked  with  four  bottles  taken  from  the  renegades  of 
Magdebourg?" 

"Though  my  habit  has  cancelled  all  commerce  with  the 
sensualities  of  this  world,  in  the  service  of  the  cause 
which  we  both  defend,  you  by  your  sword,  I  by  my  word, 
I  will  submit  myself  to  the  proof  of  the  patty." 

"And  the  temptation  of  four  bottles?'' 

"Yes,  my  lord." 

"Then  follow  me.     We'll  ch:it  while  supping." 

The  monk  bowed  to  the  ground  and  followed  John  of 
Werth  into  a  lower  hall  which  the  Croatians  and  the 
fiames  had  respected.  A  stout  oak  table  bore  without 
bending  the  respectable  burden  of  a  patty  modestly  sur- 
rounded by  a  complete  assortment  of  saucepans,  black 
puddings  and  chitterlings,  whence  rose  a  steam  of  spices. 
I'our  long,  narrow-necked  bottles  decorated  each  corner 
of  the  table. 

"Ha,  ha,"  said  John  of  Werth,  smiling,  "Magdebourg 
h.'is  good  stuff."  Then  pointing  out  a  chair  to  the  Capu- 
chin, "Be  seated,  eat  and  drink." 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  the  monk  emotionally,  as  he  raised 
his  eyes  toward  heaven,  "when  one  has  labored  all  day  in 
the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  'tis  sweet  at  eventide  to  discover 
that  the  modest  efforts  of  an  unworthy  servant  of  the 
Church  have  not  been  disagreeable  to  Providence." 

Having  said  this  he  rolled  back  the  broad  sleeves  of  his 
serge  robe  and  attacked  the  patty  vigorously,  not  neglect- 
ing the  chitterlings,  which  he  moistened  with  a  brim- 
ming bumper  of  Rhine  wine. 

"My  lord,"  he  recommenced  with  a  sigli.  "the  words 
of  the  Fathers  of  the  Church  are  that  we  pardon  sin  ;  but 
when  one  has  to  rlo  with  a  hardened  and  hfreticnl  sinner, 
the  Holy  Infjuisition,  which  T  rcvcr«^nco,  hands  the  wretch 
who  persists  in  error  ov^r  to  the  secular  authorit'ts." 

"The   Holy  Inquisition   never  errs,"  replied    John  of 


50  A  MONK  WITH  AN  APPETITE 

Werth,  striking  an  enormous  breach  in  the  side  of  the 
patty. 

"Therefore  it  has  seemed  to  me  that  neither  pity  nor 
mercy  should  be  allowed  to  the  cursed  heretic  who  is 
known  among  his  heretical  brethren  under  the  name  of 
the  Count  of  La  Guerche." 

"Neither  pity  nor  mercy,  quite  right;  but,  unhappily, 
you  must  know,  father,  that  the  Count  of  La  Guerche 
has,  by  some  infernal  art,  interested  a  powerful  dignitary 
in  his  lot,  namely,  the  Grand-Marshal  of  the  Empire, 
Count  Pappenhcim." 

"I  know  it,  my  lord,  I  know  it.  And  I  see  the  hand  of 
the  Evil  One  in  it,  but  the  machinations  of  the  Spirit  of 
Darkness  shall  not  prevail  against  the  spiritual  arms 
which  it  is  my  duty  to  employ,  and  if  it  please  God  we 
will  conquer  the  obstinacy  of  this  Huguenot." 

"Your  goblet." 

The  monk  refilled  his  pewter  goblet  to  the  brim  and 
swallowed  the  contents  at  a  draught. 

"The  Count  of  La  Guerche,"  he  continued  with  a  bea- 
tific air,  "will  surely  leave  here  in  a  few  days.  Doubtless 
he  will  take  the  shortest  road  from  Magdebourg  to  the 
camp  of  this  son  of  Sennacherib  and  Nebuchadnezzar, 
whom  the  Swedes  call  Gustavus  Adolphus.  He  will  do 
this  with  the  malicious  aim  of  there  securing  aid." 

"  'Tis  evident,  father.  You  reason  with  a  clearness  of 
vision  that  charms  me." 

"Now,  by  giving  the  spiritual  arms,  of  which  I  have 
just  spoken  to  you,  the  assistance  of  the  temporal,  it 
would  be  easy  to  place  the  Count  of  La  Guerche  and  his 
companion,  the  Marquis  of  Chaufontaine,  beyond  all 
power  of  injuring  the  well-beloved  sons  of  our  Holy 
Church." 

"Beyond  all  power,  you  say?" 

"The  roads  are  full  of  ambushes.  The  wise  man  can 
never  answer  for  the  morrow." 

The  monk  emptied  a  bottle  and  threw  it  adroitly  out 
of  the  window. 

"There's  a  monk  with  the  hand  of  a  reiter,"  thought 
John  of  Werth, 

"Follow  my  argument  closely,"   pursued    the    monk. 


A  MONK  WITH  AN  ArPETITE  51 

whose  brain  found  greater  brilliance  at  the  bottom  of  each 
bottle  he  emptied.  "These  miscreants,  whose  names  my 
lips  cannot  utter  without  the  sensation  of  a  red-hot  iron, 
leave  Magdebourg  a  fine  morning,  their  souls  full  of  black 
schemes.  They  think  over  the  perpetration  of  them 
while  on  their  way.  But  God,  who  does  not  permit  the 
wicked  to  triumph,  causes  them  on  a  certain  evening  to 
enter  an  inn  whose  proprietor  is  a  holy  man  devoted  to 
the  eternal  interests  of  religion.  One  may  excite  his 
piety  by  a  gift  and  he  will  open  the  door  of  his  house  to 
the  secular  arm." 

"Without  compromising  the  name  or  reputation  of 
anybody?" 

"Does  my  lord  take  this  venerable  robe  for  the  band 
of  an  infant?  No,  no;  this  arm  has  often  put  in  practice 
the  motto  of  a  philosopher  whose  name  escapes  me, 
which  is,  'dispatch  and  discretion.'  " 

"It  is  a  virtuous  and  prudent  arm." 

The  Capuchin  bowed  and  filled  his  plate  of  the  patty, 
which  was  fast  disappearing. 

"Moreover,  I  fancy,"  he  went  on,  "that  your  lordship 
has,  like  myself,  a  horror  of  useless  violence  and  of  the 
spilling  of  blood.  What  we  desire  is  not  so  much  the 
death  of  the  sinner,  but  his  conversion." 

"To  be  sure." 

"Then  the  thrust  of  a  poniard,  which  sends  life  into 
death,  does  not  allow  souls  the  time  to  repent  and  shrive 
themselves  by  abundant  alms-giving.  The  spectacle  of 
the  miseries  and  sufferings  to  which  they  are  to  be  con- 
demned must  move  these  souls  to  penance.  Thus,  if  your 
Huguenot  dies.  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  perseveres  in 
her  error.  Where's  your  gain  ?  The  pleasure  of  tri- 
umph is  unquestionably  something,  but  not  everything. 
The  Count  of  La  Guerche,  on  the  contrary,  is  buried  in 
some  deep  hole  and  l)cgs  the  obstinate  perscju  to  respond 
to  the  prayers  of  your  lordship  in  order  to  obtain  the  de- 
liverance of  his  miserable  body,  which  suffers  daily  tor- 
tures. That  would  be  beautiful!  And  to  attain  this 
cncl,  our  hunibk-  efforts  must  strive  unceasingly." 

John  of  Werth  contemplated  the  monk  with  admira- 
tion.    It  seemed  to  him  that  this  man,  whose  name  he 


52  A  MONK  WITH  AN  APPETlTR 

did  not  know,  outstripped  the  unfortunate  Frantz  Kreuss 
by  a  hundred  yards. 

"You  know  an  inn  then,"  he  added,  "which  will  extend 
hospitality  to  you  at  the  price  of  a  pious  ofifering?" 

"I  do." 

"And  your  arm  will  surprise  the  Count  of  La  Guerche 
there  and  lead  him  to  a  spot  where  he  will  have  leisure 
for  long  meditation  ?" 

"With  your  permission  both  the  Count  of  La  Guerche 
and  the  Marquis  of  Chaufontaine." 

"You  have  my  permission  with  pleasure." 

"You  are  a  good  man,"  replied  the  monk. 

Then  in  a  soft  voice  John  of  Werth  called  a  lackey  and 
ordered  him  to  fetch  four  more  bottles  together  with 
some  ham. 

"I  cannot  admire  enough  the  excellence  of  your  stom- 
ach and  the  vigor  of  your  appetite,"  the  baron  commented 
with  a  smile. 

"They  are  the  privileges  of  a  pure  conscience,"  an- 
swered the  Capuchin. 

"Now,  tell  me,  father,  does  your  holiness  undertake 
this  mission  of  confidence  for  the  love  of  your  neighbor 
only?" 

"Alas,  no." 

"Ah!" 

"Times  are  so  hard  that  I  must  solicit  a  recompense 
less  heavenly  for  my  services." 

"I  understand,  father;  and  I  think  we  can  unite  our 
efiforts  for  the  common  good." 

"That  is  my  most  ardent  desire.  I  have  not  always 
been  a  lowly  servant  of  the  Church,  my  lord.  In  other 
days  I  wore  a  sword.  If  humility  did  not  forbid  it,  I 
should  add,  that  I  handled  it  not  ill." 

"I  suspected  it  when  you  showed  me  your  arm  a  while 
ago. 

"Unhappily  the  devil  fanned  my  spirit  to  anger.  One 
night  we  were  playing  dice  with  the  equerry  of  his  Emi- 
nence, the  Duke  of  Friedland.  I  lost ;  and  I  killed  the 
equerry  with  a  stab  of  my  dirk." 

"Merely  a  move  of  passion,  father." 

"I  asked  pardon  for  it  from  saints  and  men.     Now  I 


A  MONK  WITH  AN  APPETITE  53 

must  obtain  the  forgiveness  of  his  eminence  the  Duke  of 
Friedland." 

"I'll  see  to  that." 

"Later,  while  traveling  in  the  Palatinate,  I  met  the 
treasurer  of  His  Eminence  the  Archbishop  of  IMayence. 
We  dined  under  an  arbor  together.  On  the  morrow 
neither  the  treasurer  nor  the  treasure  could  be  found. 
Certain  evil  persons  stirred  the  rumor  that  I  had  some- 
thing to  do  with  this  singular  event.  Jt  is  to  be  desired 
that  His  Eminence  show  his  forgetfulness  of  the  injury 
by  ordering  all  investigation  to  be  stopped  and  the  pro- 
ceedings to  be  closed." 

"I  will  write  to  the  Archbishop  of  Mayence." 

"Later  still  in  Bavaria  in  a  castle  where  a  marriage  was 
being  celebrated,  a  band  of  students  and  gypsies  abducted 
the  bride  in  her  wedding  dress  and  jewels.  An  unhappy 
chance  had  brought  me  to  this  company  of  vagrants  the 
preceding  day.  They  had  been  pleased  to  invest  me 
with  the  title  of  captain.  The  bride  returned  to  the  castle 
eight  days  later  and  entered  a  convent.  Alas,  no  trace  of 
the  jewels  was  ever  discovered." 

"Such  things  are  easily  lost." 

"Calumny  dared  accuse  me.  It  would  be  opportune, 
my  lord,  to  engage  the  commander  of  the  castle,  a  castle 
of  the  Holy  Empire,  to  think  no  more  of  this  affair  which 
recalls  to  him  such  melancholy  memories." 

"I'll  say  a  word  to  my  master,  the  Elector  Maximilian, 
and  I  believe  he  will  accede  to  my  request." 

"There  are  certain  other  trifling  peccadilloes  under 
which  my  conscience  has  not  slept.  One  among  them 
caused  a  sentence  of  death  to  be  pronounced  by  the  ec- 
clesiastical tribunal  of  Treves.  But  thanks  to  the  inter- 
vention of  my  holy  patron,  I've  killed  so  many  Hugue- 
nots since  then,  that  I  am  sure  the  tribunal  would  consent 
to  remit  my  sentence  did  some  charitable  and  powerful 
soul  plead  my  cause." 

"I  shall  be  that  soul,  if  you  wish." 

"Now,  my  lord,  I  have  to  present  to  you  a  last  humble 
prayer.  I  should  have  none  to  address  to  heaven,  if 
some  one  of  your  name  and  crorlit  attached  me  to  his 
person.     The  cloak  befits  my  build  better  than  the  habit, 


54  A  MONK  WITH  AN  APPETITE 

not  that  I  disdain  this  pious  dress,  but  each  of  us  has  his 
instincts  and  mine  incline  me  toward  the  miUtary  attire. 
Yet  I  should  always  be  able,  when  occasion  required,  to 
bend  my  head  under  a  cowl." 

"Zounds !  Father,  for  the  past  hour  I've  been  think- 
ing that  you  alone  could  replace  an  honest  servant  whom 
I've  lost,  good  Frantz.  He  was  a  clever  man  and  one 
unequalled  for  enterprises  of  hazard.  Avaricious,  if  you 
will,  but  not  scrupulous.  I  weep  for  him  every  day. 
You  are  of  his  race  and  blood,  with  something  more  that 
attracts  me." 

"You  flatter  me." 

"Not  in  the  least.  I  speak  of  things  as  they  are.  You 
have,  perhaps,  a  brain  even  more  inventive,  more  fertile 
of  resource,  more  prompt  and  energetic." 

"Then,  you  agree?" 

"Without  the  slightest  hesitation." 

"And  I  am  yours?" 

"From  this  evening." 

"My  lord,"  cried  the  monk,  as  he  sent  the  four  empty 
bottles  flying  through  the  window,  "as  true  as  this  brittle 
glass  breaks  as  it  falls,  shall  I  pitch  at  your  feet,  bound 
and  gagged,  these  two  cursed  Frenchmen,  called  La 
Guerche  and  Chaufontaine.  One  is  yours,  my  lord,  the 
other  is  mine !" 

"Ah,  thou  hatest  them  also?" 

"Look  at  this  scar  on  my  breast.  The  poniard  of  one 
of  them  caused  it.  Though  it  were  efifaced  I  should 
never  forget  the  man  who  struck  the  blow." 

"Thy  name,  soldier?" 

"Matheus  Orlscopp." 

"To  work,  then,  Matheus,  and  if  thou  dost  succeed,  in 
all  Germany  there  will  not  be  a  richer  or  more  fortunate 
captain  than  thou !" 


A  MONK-RIDDEN  INN  55 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A  MONK-RIDDEN  INN. 

When  both  the  conversation  and  dinner  were  finished  a 
vague  inquietude  filled  the  mind  of  John  of  Werth.  He 
feared  that  his  new  recruit  would  not  be  able  to  stand 
up  after  the  frightful  quantity  of  food  and  drink  he  had 
taken.  What  was  his  surprise  when  he  saw  the  Capu- 
chin leap  to  his  feet  with  the  agility  of  a  cat  after  the 
last  slice  of  ham  had  followed  the  last  glass  of  wine  into 
his  stomach.  Matheus  Orlscopp  looked  no  fatter  than 
if  he  had  dined  on  a  crust  of  dry  bread  and  a  drop  of 
water.     Thin  he  was  and  thin  he  remained. 

"Some  money,  now,"  he  said  in  a  sonorous  voice. 

"Take  what  you  need,"  said  John  of  Werth  emptying 
his  belt  on  the  table. 

"I'll  take  all,"  answered  Matheus,  turning  the  gold 
pieces  into  his  pockets.  "This  will  close  the  eyes  and 
open  the  cars  of  Master  Innocent." 

"Ah,  his  name  is  Innocent,  eh,  your  innkeeper?" 

"Yes,  and  never  was  a  name  better  bestowed.  He 
never  does  anything  save  to  render  a  service  to  his  neigh- 
bor." 

Matheus  was  going  out  of  the  door  when  John  of 
Werth  seized  him  by  the  arm,  saying: 

"What  will  answer  for  your  good  faith?" 

"This,"  replied  the  Capuchin,  placing  his  finger  on  the 
scar  of  Rcnaud's  poniard,  "and  the  confession  I  made 
you.     Half  of  it  would  hang  an  honest  man." 

"Fly  then  !"  cried  the  Bavarian. 

An  hour  later  a  cavalier  well  mounted  and  followed  by 
two  valets  at  a  respectful  distance,  rode  forth  from  Mag- 
dcbourg.  It  was  Matheus  Orlscopp,  traveling  as  a  gen- 
tleman. 

Passing  the  house  of  Count  Pappcnhcim,  he  noticed  a 


56  A  MONK-RIDDEN  INN 

brilliant  light  at  the  upper  story  and  heard  a  pure  and 
melodious  voice  vibrating  in  the  night  air,  chanting  a 
psalm  of  David.  This  was  not  the  first  time  that  he  had 
heard  this  glorious  voice.  It  recalled  to  him  the  inn  of 
The  Cross  of  Malta  in  the  town  of  Burgheim.  The 
shadows  of  the  two  gallant  cavaliers  could  be  seen 
against  the  window. 

"Sing,"  murmured  Matheus,  "we'll  see  whether  you 
will  always  sing." 

Then  he  was  lost  in  the  night. 

Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  could  not  tear  themselves 
away  from  their  sweethearts.  To  the  bitter  regret  of 
leaving  them  was  added  the  mortal  anguish  of  leaving 
them  in  the  hands  of  one  who  had  been  a  rival  and  was 
still  an  enemy.  Loyal  as  they  judged  him,  they  were  still 
captives  and  with  what  hope  of  ever  being  liberated? 
Renaud  tore  at  his  mustache  and  angry  exclamations 
escaped  his  lips.  Armand-Louis  walked  up  and  down  or 
stood  still,  mute  and  pale  with  despair,  looking  toward 
heaven. 

"Beaten  !"  Renaud  was  repeating  incessantly. 

"And  both  prisoners !"  said  Armand-Louis. 

At  times  the  wildest  plans  occurred  to  them,  from 
which  they  recoiled  only  because  they  feared  to  com- 
promise their  companions  still  more.  Adrienne  and 
Diana  were  confident  in  hope. 

"What  do  you  fear?"  asked  Adrienne  in  a  firm  voice. 
"You  surely  do  not  do  me  the  injury  of  thinking  that  my 
heart  can  change?  Has  my  life  been  free  from  perils  thus 
far?  Do  you  think  I  am  too  weak  to  support  the  rigors  of 
this  new  trial?  Believe  me,  my  heart  shall  withstand  all 
proof  and  remain  worthy  of  the  name  I  bear.  We  shall 
be  separated  for  some  days  or  months.  What  are  they 
in  comparison  to  the  long  years  that  we  have  been  to- 
gether? Raise  your  head  high  and  expect  all  from  the 
future.  The  God  who  rescued  me  from  the  hands  of 
Madame  Igomer,  after  having  sent  us  together  from 
Antwerp,  will  have  pity  on  us.  I  have  more  confidence 
than  you  in  His  goodness.  A  day  may  come,  perhaps, 
when  the  memory  of  Magdebourg  shall  be  for  you  and 
'me  as  the  memory  of  those  storms  of  which  sailors  speak 


A  MONK-RIDDEN  INN  57 

with  smiles.  May  it  be  not  far  away !  Give  mc  your 
hand,  Armand,  and  place  your  hope  in  Ilim,  who  never 
deceives." 

Diana  spoke  in  the  same  strain  to  Renaud,  but  with  a 
shade  of  irony,  which  denoted  the  difference  between  her 
character  and  that  of  Adrienne. 

"Arc  you  no  longer  the  man  whom  I  knew  ?"  she  said, 
"the  cavalier  amorous  of  danger  and  quick  to  rush  into 
adventures?  Perchance  your  devotion  to  St.  Estocade 
has  declined.  Do  you  believe  that  this  blessed  person- 
age is  no  longer  able  to  perform  miracles?  She  has  al- 
lowed you  to  keep  your  dirk  and  sword  and  has  not,  to 
my  knowledge,  caused  the  heroic  Carquefou  to  disappear. 
Have  you  decided  to  stop  killing  people,  or  do  you  think 
that  your  character  is  not  constant  enough  to  support  a 
few  weeks'  absence?  Speak,  Sir.  speak,  if  I  must  aban- 
don hope,  that  I  may  have  the  time  to  accustom  myself  to 
tears.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  did  you  the  honor  of  judging 
that  you  had  a  more  robust  temperament.  Do  you  wish 
to  leave  me,  thinking  that  you  are  to  be  compared  to  a 
willow,  which  trembles  at  the  slightest  zephyr,  or  are 
you  afraid  of  losing  your  memory  while  on  your  route  as 
a  child  loses  its  top?  Do  you  take  me  for  a  will  o'  the 
wisp,  which  morning  causes  to  vanish,  and  have  you  no 
strength  left  to  cry:  'Chaufontaine  to  the  rescue?'  " 

Renaud  swore  that  ten  million  years'  absence  from 
Diana  could  not  shatter  his  constancy  and  that  he  still 
remained  the  most  faithful  servant  of  St.  Estocade.  Ar- 
mand-Louis,  on  his  side,  thanked  Adrienne  on  his  knees 
for  having  restored  his  courage  and  hope.  Thus,  amid 
these  alternatives  of  dejection  and  resignation  the  mo- 
ment of  farewell  approached. 

The  army  of  Count  Tilly,  fattened  by  orgies  and  booty, 
was  about  to  leave  this  heap  of  ruins,  whicli  had  been 
Magdebourg.  On  the  morrow  it  was  to  open  the  cam- 
paign against  the  army  of  Gustavus  Adolphus. 

Count  Pappcnheim  himself  made  this  news  known  to 
them.  The  hour  of  separation  was  drawing  near.  Ar- 
mand-Louis  and  Rcnand  were  prii)are(l  for  it,  but  at  his 
first  words  they  thought  their  hearts  must  stop  beating. 


58  A  MONK-RIDDEN  INN 

"Say  farewell !  Leave  you  !  Is  it  possible  ?"  cried  Ar- 
mand-Louis. 

"Ah,  Diana!"  said  poor  Renaud,  and  his  voice  failed 
him. 

Adrienne  cut  short  this  fatal  hour  by  running  into  her 
oratory,  whither  she  was  followed  by  Diana. 

She  stood  by  the  window,  behind  a  thick  curtain  and 
looked  down  into  the  street.  She  had  remained  firm  as 
long  as  it  was  necessary  for  her  to  encourage  Armand- 
Louis.  Then  there  was  not  a  tear,  but  a  steady  tone,  a 
confident  smile,  a  face  all  aflame  with  love  and  faith. 
But  when  she  saw  them  disappear  behind  a  corner  of  the 
wall,  a  deadly  pallor  overspread  her  features  and  tears 
flooded  her  cheeks. 

"Good  God  !"  she  cried,  clasping  her  hands  prayerfully, 
"have  pity  on  me  !" 

Behind  her,  prostrate,  lay  the  laughing  Diana,  sobbing 
her  heart  out. 

Count  Pappenheim  wished  to  escort  the  two  gentle- 
men in  person  at  the  head  of  a  body  of  cuirassiers.  Count 
Tilly  had  given  his  word,  but  he  had  more  confidence  in 
the  swords  and  shields  of  his  soldiers.  For  a  while  they 
galloped  along  the  road  in  a  northerly  direction,  the 
grand-marshal  in  advance  with  the  French  gentlemen, 
and  behind  them  the  squadron.  At  two  hours'  distance 
from  Magdebourg  Count  Pappenheim  reined  up  his  horse 
and  said : 

"Farewell  now.  You  are  free  and  the  country  lies  open 
before  you." 

For  some  time  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  rode  in 
silence.  They  held  in  their  horses,  as  though  counting 
the  paces  that  separated  them  from  the  prisoners.  In  the 
distance  huge  clouds  of  dust  veiled  the  route  of  the  impe- 
rial army.  An  opaque  dome  of  smoke  lay  above  Magde- 
bourg. Everywhere  they  found  trees  uprooted  or  cal- 
cined, huts  in  ashes,  sacked  hamlets  and  fields  of  grain 
trampled  under  foot.  But  this  mourning  of  nature  did 
not  equal  the  mourning  of  their  souls. 

Renaud  was  the  first  to  spur  his  horse. 

"Let's  gallop  now,"  he  cried,  "the  faster  we  go,  the 
sooner  shall  we  return." 


A  MONK-RIDDEN  INN  59 

Amiand-Louis  bent  down  over  his  horse's  neck,  and 
followed  by  Magnus  and  Carqucfou,  the  two  friends 
speeded  toward  tliat  point  of  the  horizon  where  they 
hoped  to  find  Gustavus  Adolphus  and  the  Swedes. 

"Ah,"  said  Arniand-Louis,  between  his  teeth,  "if  they 
need  a  guide  to  lead  them  to  X'ienna  I  am  he." 

One  evening  after  a  long  run,  which  had  fatigued  only 
their  horses,  they  came  in  sight  of  an  inn,  situated  below 
a  field  of  starved  buckwheat  on  the  edge  of  the  woods. 
A  few  bundles  of  fresh-cut  fodder  embalmed  the  air.  The 
horses  shook  their  heads  and  whinnied. 

"Poor  beasts,  they  smell  their  suppers,"  said  Carquc- 
fou, who  had  great  compassion  for  sufferings  of  the 
stomach. 

The  horses  stopped  of  their  own  accord  before  the  inn. 
It  was  a  vast  building,  whose  black  walls  still  bore  traces 
of  the  fire  which  had  devoured  the  castle  of  which  it  had 
formerly  been  a  part.  Here  and  there  bits  of  ruins  could 
be  seen,  and  amid  the  remains  grew  fruit  trees  and  veg- 
etables. There  was  no  sign  on  the  door  of  the  inn,  but 
some  dried  branches  of  pine.  An  arbor  stretched  out  on 
one  side  of  the  building,  beneath  which  a  monk  was  read- 
ing his  breviary,  in  company  of  two  lay  brothers,  who 
were  mumbling  prayers  on  tiieir  beads.  The  host  ran 
out  and  seized  the  bridle  of  Armand-Louis. 

He  was  a  little  man,  with  the  face  of  a  cat,  his  hair 
brushed  straight  back  and  hands  crook  shaped,  like  the 
claws  of  a  vulture. 

"Your  horses  are  foimdering,"  said  he,  casting  a  know- 
ing glance  upon  them;  "if  your  lordships  have  need  of 
fresh  and  sturdy  steeds,  they  can  be  found  here." 

"Ah,  you're  a  bit  of  a  horsedealer,  are  you?"  said  Re- 
naud,  dismounting. 

"I  find  many  horses  running  wild,"  said  the  innkeeper; 
"it  wounds  my  heart  to  sec  them.  I  gather  them  in  for 
the  service  of  the  honest  people  who  frequent  my  house." 

Carcjuefou,  who  had  already  paid  a  visit  to  the  office 
and  the  kitchen,  appeared  at  the  threshold,  and  said  : 

"I  never  saw  an  inn  so  full  of  monks.  I  counted  three 
round  a  pot  which  disscminati  s  an  amiable  odor  of  bacon 
and  caljbagc ;  two  in  the  garden ;  two  others  in  mcdita- 


6o  A  MONK-RIDDEN  INN 

tion  before  the  store-room,  not  to  mention  the  four  who 
are  now  praying  in  the  arbor." 

"They  are  Capuchin  fathers  who  are  on  a  pilgrimage  to 
Cologne.  They  come  from  the  interior  of  Pomerania," 
said  the  innkeeper.  "Their  stay  will  certainly  bring  the 
blessings  of  our  Lord  down  upon  my  poor  house." 

"Holla,  Master  Innocent !"  cried  he  of  the  monks,  who 
appeared  to  be  the  superior,  "get  my  supper  ready.  A 
few  lentils  boiled  in  water  and  a  handful  of  nuts." 

"Humph,"  muttered  Carquefou,  "there's  a  specimen 
to  disgust  one  of  life." 

"I  desire  neither  wine  nor  beer,"  added  the  monk  ;  "the 
water  which  flows  in  the  bottom  of  the  garden  will  suffice 
to  quench  my  thirst." 

Then  the  monk,  whose  cowl  was  drawn  down  over  his 
eyes,  crossed  his  hands  over  his  breast  and  passed  into 
the  garden,  followed  by  the  two  lay  brothers. 

Master  Innocent  hurried  to  the  kitchen,  and  returned 
thence  a  moment  later  with  a  plate  of  lentils  smoking 
sadly  and  a  plate  in  the  centre  of  which  rolled  a  few  nuts. 
It  took  him  a  quarter  of  an  hour  to  serve  this  meagre 
repast,  and  as  Carquefou,  whose  hunger  sharpened  his 
temper,  remarked  the  fact  to  him,  he  replied  : 

"Ah,  sir,  the  saintly  man  is  nourished  v/ith  the  bread  of 
the  divine  word." 

Soon  afterward  the  host  showed  Carquefou  that  he 
had  something  besides  lentils  and  nuts  in  his  house.  At 
the  sight  of  the  good  cheer  which  filled  the  place  with 
the  most  delicate  aroma,  the  honest  servant  sighed : 

"Ah,  if  we  were  not  sad,  what  appetites  we  should 
have !" 

Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  hastily  swallowed  a  few 
mouthfuls,  without  exchanging  more  than  ten  words, 
and  they  related  to  the  deliverance  of  their  sweethearts. 
This  was  their  sole  thought  and  care. 

"Let  the  horses  be  ready  at  dawn  to-morrow,"  ordered 
Armand-Louis. 

The  host  took  a  torch  and  conducted  the  young  gentle- 
men to  their  rooms.  One  faced  the  garden,  the  other 
the  road,  at  either  extremity  of  a  long  corridor. 

"I  should  have  prepared  to  put  you  in  the  same  part 


A  MONK-RILDEN  INN  6l 

of  the  house."  said  he.  "but  the  holy  Capuchin  fathers 
occupy  all  the  rooms  with  two  beds,  as  well  as  those 
which  separate  you.  But  I  have  taken  care  that  your 
lordships  shall  want  for  nothing.  You  see  the  sheets 
are  spotless." 

"That  is  well,"  said  Renaud,  "one  night  is  short." 
Then  he  bade  his  friend  to  rest  and  pleasant  dreams. 

The  host  shivered  when  he  saw  him  place  his  naked 
sword  beside  the  bed  within  arm's  reach,  and  then  with- 
drew slowly. 


62  THE  HOSTELRY  OF   MASTER  INNOCENT 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  HOSTEOLRY  OF  MASTER  INNOCENT. 

As  Master  Innocent  passed  along  the  corridor,  a  door 
was  suddenly  opened  ajar,  revealing  the  cowl  of  a  monk. 
"  The  birds  are  caged,"  said  Master  Innocent  in  a  low 
voice. 

The  cowl  vanished. 

At  the  foot  of  the  stairs  Master  Innocent  met  Magnus 
and  Carquefou. 

"The  rooms  of  your  lordships  are  on  the  very  top  floor. 
I  am  sorry  to  have  to  put  you  under  the  rafters " 

"Never  worry  about  that,"  interrupted  Magnus.  "Our 
lordships  will  sleep  beside  their  horses." 

In  truth  this  had  been  their  practice  since  their  de- 
parture from  Magdebourg.  They  had  need  to  travel 
rapidly,  and  their  salvation,  as  well  as  that  of  the  pris- 
oners behind  them,  depended  upon  their  steeds.  Magnus 
knew  by  experience  that  a  horse  neglected  is  often  a 
horse  stolen.  Consequently,  neither  he  nor  Carquefou 
ever  left  the  stable.     They  slept  and  watched  by  turns. 

"What,  sleep  on  bundles  of  straw  when  you  may  taste 
repose  in  beds  of  down !  "  exclaimed  Master  Innocent. 

Then  he  endeavored  to  make  Magnus  understand 
what  an  unhealthy  place  the  stable  was,  full  of  draughts 
and  spiders,  in  fine  a  pesthole  for  aches  and  rheumatism. 

"  The  windows  are  broken  and  the  doors  won't  close," 
he  added  finally. 

"That's  the  very  reason,"  returned  Magnus.  "I  don't 
wish  my  horses  to  take  cold." 

Master  Innocent  insisted  no  more.  The  face  of  Mag- 
nus indicated  to  him  that  he  was  one  of  those  stubborn 
men,  who  stick  to  their  ideas  like  an  oak  to  its  roots. 

"  The  devil !  "  murmured  the  innkeeper  as  he  went  ofT. 
"  'Tis  lucky  their  masters  have  not  the  same  opinion  in 
regard  to  the  horses." 


THE  HOSTELRY  OF    MASTER  INNOCENT  63 

At  about  midnig^ht  the  last  candle  in  the  kitchen  was 
extinguished.  The  universal  silence  was  interrupted  only 
by  the  snorting  of  the  horses  or  their  chewing  of  the 
fodder  provided  for  them. 

At  this  moment  a  door  in  the  corridor  was  softly 
opened  and  a  monk  issued  from  his  room  noiselessly. 
His  half-oponctl  habit  revealed  a  cloak  of  skin,  bound  by 
a  belt  on  which  shone  the  iron  hilt  of  a  heavy  sword. 
Almost  instantly  Master  Innocent  appeared  at  the  head 
of  the  stairs,  holding  a  dark  lantern. 

The  monk  proceeded  toward  the  room  of  Armand- 
Louis.  the  innkeeper  toward  that  of  Renaud.  Each 
leaned  his  ear  to  the  keyhole.  A  deep,  regular  breathing 
in  each  room  informed  them  that  the  two  cavaliers  were 
sleeping. 

The  monk  flung  back  his  cowl  and  dropped  his  habit, 
disclosing  the  sinister  form  and  features  of  Mattheus  Orl- 
scopp. 

"Now  to  work."  he  whispered;  then,  preceded  by 
Master  Innocent,  who  had  rejoined  him,  he  buried  him- 
self in  a  dark  passage,  whose  door  was  cleverly  secreted 
in  a  corner  of  the  hall. 

Meanwhile  the  two  Frenchmen  slept,  all  dressed  on  top 
of  their  beds. 

A  few  moments  afterward  a  panel  of  the  woodwork 
which  surrounded  the  room  of  Armand-Louis,  glided  si- 
lently into  an  invisible  groove.  It  left  only  a  slit  in  the 
wall,  through  which  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  thrust 
a  sword  blade.  Then  the  slit  broadened  wonderfully,  and 
in  the  deep,  black  opening  the  silhouette  of  two  men  ap- 
peared. One  was  Mattheus  Orlscopp.  the  other  Master 
Innocent.  They  held  their  breath.  In  their  hands  were 
narrow  but  solid  strips  of  leather. 

They  stepped  upon  the  floor  without  more  noise  than 
a  cat  makes  crawling  cautiously  along  the  top  of  a  wall. 
Behind  them,  like  sliadows,  two  monks  followed  them 
into  the  room  of  the  Huguenot. 

The  lattcr's  si)irit  was  now  in  the  land  of  dreams.  He 
fancied  that  the  door  of  a  palace  had  t)ecn  opened,  re- 
vealing Adricnne  to  him  in  a  garden  all  brilliantly  light- 
ed.    She  was  extending  her  hands  lo  him,  which  were 


64  THE  IIOSTEIvRY  OF    MASTER  INNOCENT 

laden  with  chains.  He  advanced  a  step  toward  her,  but 
a  wall  of  crystal  suddenly  rose  up  between  them.  Hide- 
ous dwarfs  and  horrible  grinning  giants  seized  Adrienne 
and  rushed  off  with  her.  Armand-Louis  stretched  forth 
his  arms  to  deliver  her,  but  on  all  sides  he  met  the  wall 
of  crystal,  harder  than  adamant.  He  struggled  in  mortal 
anguish ;  he  tried  to  cry  out,  but  his  gagged  throat  let  no 
sound  escape ;  his  limbs  stiffened  under  the  tension  of  his 
muscles  and  he  sat  up  by  a  violent  effort.  Of  a  sudden 
he  opened  his  eyes.  Four  horrible  faces  were  looking 
into  his ;  his  feet  were  bound  with  leather  thongs ;  others 
were  rolled  about  his  wrists,  and  before  a  single  cry  could 
burst  from  his  lips  a  violent  hand  was  laid  upon  his 
throat  and  throttled  him. 

All  this  had  happened  within  two  minutes  after  the 
panel  had  been  slid  open.  Armand-Louis  lay  like  a 
corpse  about  to  be  nailed  in  a  coffin,  before  Mattheus 
Orlscopp. 

"Do  you  recognize  me?"  asked  the  false  monk  as  two 
of  his  accomplices  laid  the  Huguenot  across  their  robust 
shoulders.     "It's  my  turn  now." 

The  two  men  and  their  living  burden  vanished  through 
the  wall  and  Mattheus  Orlscopp  turned  toward  Master 
Innocent,  who  was  trembling. 

"Let's  to  the  other,  now,"  he  said. 

Soon  afterward  the  same  scene  took  place  in  the  room 
of  Renaud  de  Chaufontaine.  A  similar  panel  glided  into 
its  groove,  the  same  men  with  like  thongs  leaned  over  the 
bed  of  Renaud.  The  same  unpitying  hand  seized  him  by 
the  throat,  while  indestructible  knots  were  being  fastened 
about  his  arms  and  legs ;  and  he  was  carried  from  his 
room  in  the  same  manner  as  Armand-Louis. 

"Above  all  let's  make  no  noise,"  murmured  Master  In- 
nocent, who  shivered  at  the  slightest  sound.  "There  are 
two  rascals  below  who  will  stomach  no  jests.  'Tis  true 
there  are  ten  of  us,  but  they  have  a  number  of  pistols  in 
their  belts." 

"I  know  one  of  them,"  Mattheus  answered.  "His  whole 
skin's  not  worth  a  florin.  Nevertheless,  let  some  one  go 
and  see  what  he  and  his  comrade  are  doing. 

A  monk  stole  down  to  the  stable  and  soon  returned. 


THE  HOSTELRY  OF    MASTER    INNOCENT  65 

"One  of  the  valets  is  snoring  on  the  straw,"  he  said. 
"The  other  is  on  tlie  watch,  his  pistol  in  his  hand,  his 
sword  on  his  knee.     I  did  not  dare  let  myself  be  seen." 

"You  did  well,"  commented  Master  Innocent,  "only 
let's  make  haste,"  and  he  shuddered  more  violently  than 
before. 

Traversing  the  passage,  and  descending  the  staircase, 
the  two  accomplices  reached  a  rear  yard,  in  the  midst  of 
which  was  a  sedan  hitched  to  two  mules.  They  placed 
the  two  prisoners  side  by  side  in  the  sedan  after  Mattheus 
Orlscopp  had  tried  the  bonds  to  see  that  they  were  in- 
tact. 

"Make  a  stir."  he  said,  before  drawing  the  curtains, 
"and  at  the  first  sign  two  balls  will  crack  your  skulls." 

In  a  corner  Master  Innocent  was  counting  the  gold 
pieces  which  Mattheus  Orlscopp  had  poured  into  his 
palm. 

"They  may  be  a  little  under  weight,"  he  said,"  but 
friends  do  not  quarrel  over  such  trifles." 

The  sound  of  a  trumpet  in  the  night  air  startled  him. 

"Perhaps  'tis  the  Swedes,"  he  exclaimed,  turning  pale. 

"So  much  the  worse  for  you,  gentlemen,"  said  Matthe- 
us, frowning  and  taking  his  pistols. 

He  now  enveloped  himself  in  a  serge  habit  and  pulled 
the  cowl  over  his  head.  With  a  haughty  gesture  he 
caused  the  gate  of  the  yard  to  be  opened,  and,  concealing 
his  hands  in  the  capacious  sleeves  of  his  robe  and  tight- 
ening his  girdle,  he  went  out. 

Behind  him  followed  a  file  of  monks.  The  sedan  was 
driven  ahead.  Dawn  was  peeping  above  the  horizon,  but 
a  few  stars  still  shone  in  the  heavens.  A  troop  of  Saxon 
cavaliers  was  taking  a  spur-drink  at  the  door.  Master 
Innocent  was  passing  from  one  to  the  other,  bearing  a 
broad-bottomed  jug.  He  was  trem1)ling  in  spite  of  him- 
self and  dared  not  look  toward  the  sedan  or  the  stable. 

Magnus  was  standing  at  the  door  of  the  latter  build- 
ing. Car(|uefou,  seated  on  a  stone,  was  spreading  sau- 
sages systematically  on  a  slice  of  bread. 

"Confound  that  trumpet,"  he  murmured,  "I  was  sleep- 
ing so  well." 

Magnus  took  a  step  toward  the  sedan. 


66    THE  HOSTELRY  OF  MASTER  INNOCENT 

"One  of  our  younger  friars  was  seized  with  fever  last 
night,"  explained  Mattheus.    "Pray  for  him,  brother." 

A  kind  of  groan  issued  from  the  sedan,  which  was 
drowned  in  the  sound  of  a  psalm  which  the  monks  were 
chanting.     The  procession  moved  away, 

Magnus  looked  toward  the  horizon,  where  he  saw  a 
narrow  band  of  opalescent  light. 

"Ah,"  thought  he,  "in  an  hour  we  also  will  be  ofif," 

Then  he  returned  to  the  stable,  whither  Carquefou  fol- 
lowed him,  yawning,  and  the  latter  stretched  himself  out 
on  a  bundle  of  straw. 

"Confound  that  trumpet !"  he  repeated  as  he  closed  his 
eyes. 

While  the  Saxon  cavaliers  were  distributing  hay  and 
oats  to  their  horses,  Master  Innocent  quietly  retired  to  a 
cellar,  whence  he  rode  out  on  a  vigorous  nag,  first  slowly, 
then  at  breakneck  speed  toward  a  fine  wood  about  a  half 
mile  distant  from  the  inn^ 

Here  he  found  the  whole  band  of  Mattheus  shedding 
their  skins.  Several  of  the  monks  had  shouldered  buff 
cloaks  and  were  astride  stout  steeds,  which  had  been  wait- 
ing their  arrival  in  the  coppice.  Others,  among  whom 
was  Master  Innocent,  wore  the  costune  of  honest  mer- 
chants, who  go  from  fair  to  fair  selling  their  wares.  No 
sign  of  a  habit  or  cowl  was  now  to  be  seen.  The  sedan 
on  the  impulse  of  stalwart  arms  rolled  to  the  bottom  of  a 
ravine,  and  the  two  prisoners,  bound  and  garrotted  on 
the  crupper  of  horses,  looked  like  two  malefactors  taken 
by  a  band  of  soldiers  in  the  very  act  of  robbery  or  assas- 
sination. 

"Good  luck !"  cried  Mattheus  Orlscopp  to  Master  In- 
nocent, as  he  gave  the  signal  for  starting. 

"God  speed !"  answered  the  tavern-keeper. 

Then  the  two  bands,  separating,  dashed  forward  each 
in  its  own  direction. 


A  TERRIBLE    AWAKENING  67 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  TERRIBLE  AWAKENING. 

Meanwhile  day  followed  night;  all  about  the  country- 
side could  be  heard  the  usual  noises  of  morning.  The 
peasants  drove  their  herds  to  pasture,  looking  about  nerv- 
ously, less  an  enemy  should  spring  up  from  some  corner 
of  the  horizon.  Wagons  passed  along  the  road.  The 
angelus  sounded  from  a  neighboring  monastery.  The 
buzz  of  life  was  reawakened.  Magnus  had  thrice  exam- 
ined the  harness  of  the  horses.  The  cloud  of  dust  raised 
by  the  departing  troop  of  Saxons  could  no  longer  be 
seen ;  and  a  profound  silence  reigned  in  the  inn. 

"This  is  the  first  time  my  master  has  been  late,"  ob- 
served Magnus. 

"Let  him  sleep,"  returned  Carqucfou.  "Sleep  is  a 
blessing  of  God." 

But  he  himself  was  tormented  by  his  breakfast  appe- 
tite, which  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  resisting,  and  he 
left  his  straw  bed  to  go  to  the  kitchen. 

He  reappeared  an  instant  later  with  a  melancholy  face. 

"It's  very  strange,"  he  said,  "there  are  no  victuals  of 
any  kind  and  no  cook  in  there.  I  poked  into  every  cor- 
ner. Nothing  and  nobody.  I  think  we've  put  up  at  an 
enchanted  inn." 

"Nobody !"  cried  Magnus. 

"It's  rather  gloomy  to  set  out  with  no  breakfast." 

But  Magnus  di(J  n(jt  wait  to  hear  his  plaint.  He  went 
up  the  stairs  of  the  inn  four  steps  at  a  time,  ran  along  the 
corridor  and  knocked  at  the  door  of  Armand-Louis. 
There  was  no  answer. 

"  'Tis  Magnus,  open  tlic  door,"  lie  roared  in  a  voice  of 
thunder. 

Then  he  leaned  his  car  to  the  keyhole,  but  could  hear 
no  sound. 


68  A  TERRIBLE    AWAKENING 

Carquefou,  who  had  followed  him,  saw  him  turn  pale. 
Magnus  burst  in  the  door  and  landed  in  the  middle  of  the 
room,  which  was  lighted  by  the  sunlight  entering  through 
a  half-opened  shutter.  The  room  was  empty.  But  the 
panel  lay  open  in  the  woodwork  over  the  bed  and  the 
terrified  glance  of  Magnus  shot  into  the  black  pit. 

"Through  there  !"  he  cried  in  a  broken  voice,  and  draw- 
ing his  sword  he  plunged  into  the  dark  passage. 

But  Carquefou,  instead  of  following  him,  leaped  out 
of  the  room  and  across  the  corridor,  dashing  against  the 
door  with  a  shock  that  burst  it  open.  He  ran  across  the 
apartment  to  the  alcove. 

"My  master  also,"  he  cried,  "the  wretches  !" 

Then  as  Magnus  had  done  he  dashed  into  the  passage 
behind  the  alcove.  A  few  steps  lay  before  him.  He  de- 
scended them  carefully  and  reached  the  end  of  the  secret 
passage,  which  abutted  on  a  door  concealed  in  the  cor- 
ner of  a  ruined  building.  It  opened  on  the  rear  of  the 
inn,  in  a  spot  shaded  by  tall  trees  and  planted  with  hedge 
wood.  The  footprints  of  many  men  could  be  seen  on  the 
moist  ground. 

Here  Carquefou  met  Magnus,  who  was  prowling  like  a 
wolf  among  the  ruins.  He  was  frightfully  pale  and  mut- 
tered imprecations  issued  from  his  lips.  Suddenly  he  per- 
ceived a  cowl  at  his  feet. 

"Ah,  it  was  the  monks,  and  we  heard  nothing,"  he 
cried.    "I  am  no  longer  Magnus." 

For  an  instant  his  grief  killed  his  indefatigable  energy. 
The  old  reiter  sank  upon  a  stone  and  buried  his  face  in 
his  hands.  "My  poor  master,"  he  sobbed,  "what  have 
they  done  with  you  ?" 

Suddenly  he  rose,  and,  stretching  out  his  hand  to  Car- 
quefou, who  was  weeping  also,  he  said  : 

"Brother,  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  and  Mademoiselle 
de  Pardaillan  are  in  the  hands  of  Count  Pappenheim. 
The  Count  of  La  Guerche  and  Renaud  de  Chaufontaine 
have  been  stolen  by  John  of  Werth  ;  it  can  be  none  other 
but  him.  We  alone  are  left  to  save  the  four.  But  if  thou 
art  prepared  to  dare  everything,  as  I  am,  let  them  be  on 
their  guard.    They  knovv  not  what  two  men  can  do." 


A  TERRIBLE   AWAKENING  69 

"Count  on  nie,  Magnus.  Command  and  I'll  obey," 
Carquefou  answered  simply. 

"Wilt  thou  swear  with  me  that,  at  the  peril  of  my  life, 
and  even  if  we  must  go  to  the  end  of  the  world,  we  11  save 
our  masters,  and  that  if  either  of  us  fall,  the  other  will 
devote  his  bones  and  blood  to  this  sacred  enterprise?" 

"I  swear  it !" 

"Then  let's  to  the  hunt.  We  have  wild  beasts  before  us 
and  we  must  kill  them." 

Carquefou  was  in  the  saddle  as  quickly  as  Magnus.  He 
had  neither  hunger,  thirst  nor  fear  now.  Their  first  pro- 
ceeding, after  having  beaten  about  the  neighborhood  of 
the  inn.  was  to  follow  the  direction  the  troop  of  monks 
had  taken.  Thus  they  searched  the  pine  wood  and  dis- 
covered the  overturned  sedan  at  the  bottom  of  the  ra- 
vine. 

"They  were  in  that,  dost  understand?"  said  Magnus, 
pointing  it  out  to  Carquefou. 

There  was  no  sign  of  blood  around  the  sedan,  there- 
fore no  idea  of  murder  occurred  to  them.  Besides,  if  the 
plan  had  been  to  kill  their  masters,  it  would  not  have  been 
necessary  to  carry  them  ofif  from  the  inn. 

"Let's  search  farther,"  said  Carquefou. 

At  the  end  of  the  glade,  where  the  abductors  had  made 
a  halt,  the  numerous  hoofprints  of  the  horses  suddenly 
forked  in  two.  Long  traces  stretched  out  before  them  in- 
versely. 

"Take  the  left."  said  Magnus,  reining  up  his  horse. 
"I'll  take  the  right.  The  one  who  first  reaches  the  edge 
of  the  forest  will  ride  along  beside  till  he  meets  the  other. 
Open  your  eyes  and  ears.  If  thou  find  the  band,  break  a 
branch  and  bend  it  in  the  direction  you  have  taken.  I 
shan't  be  long  in  rejoining  thee.     I'll  do  likewise." 

Magnus  and  Carquefou  dove  into  the  sombre  vaults  of 
the  forest.  Two  liours  later  they  met  on  the  al^e  of  the 
pines,  one  from  the  East,  the  other  from  the  West. 

"Nothing,"  said  Carquefou.  "If  there  is  one  hoof- 
print  in  tlie  sand,  there  are  a  hundred  on  the  road." 

"Thou  hast  f(jliowe(l  a  false  trail,"  answered  Magnus. 
"I'v  a  gf)od  one." 

"Thou  didst  see  the  monk?" 


70  A  TERRIBLE   AWAKENING 

"The  monk?  Dost  fancy  he  kept  his  habit?  No,  no. 
But  a  poor  woman,  picking  deadwood  along  the  way,  told 
me  that  she  saw  two  prisoners  pass.  They  were  bound  to 
horses,  in  the  centre  of  a  body  of  armed  men,  and  were 
riding  rapidly." 

"Though  they  ride  faster  than  the  wind,  we  will  catch 
them,"  cried  Carquefou. 

The  road  they  followed  now  led  them  into  a  large  town, 
where  twenty  troops  of  cavalry  had  been  seen  riding 
during  the  day.  As  for  prisoners,  they  had  been  counted 
by  the  dozen,  both  young  and  old.  Some  of  these  bands 
had  stopped,  others  had  kept  on  their  way.  Magnus  and 
Carquefou  ran  from  inn  to  inn  untiringly,  spying  and 
questioning. 

As  yet  they  had  struck  no  clue,  when  a  stable  boy  spoke 
to  them  of  a  cavalier,  who  had  been  knocked  down  by  his 
horse  as  he  was  about  to  set  his  foot  in  the  stirrup.  The 
man's  leg  was  broken  and  he  had  been  carried  into  a 
house. 

"What's  more  strange,"  added  the  stable  boy,  "the 
poor  devil,  who  swore  like  a  pagan,  wore  an  enormous 
rosary  about  his  throat.    It  looked  like  a  monk's  beads." 

A  light  broke  in  upon  Magnus. 

"Take  us  to  this  man,"  said  he,  exchanging  a  glance 
with  Carquefou.  "He's  just  the  one  we're  looking  for. 
Sweet  heaven,  but  he'll  be  glad  to  see  us  !" 

Carquefou  said  nothing  and  followed  Magnus,  who  was 
led  to  the  room  of  the  wounded  man  by  the  stable  boy. 

"Holla,  comrade,"  cried  the  latter,  opening  the  door, 
"here  are  some  friends  to  see  you." 

At  the  sight  of  Magnus  and  Carquefou,  whom  he  rec- 
ognized at  first  view  in  the  dim  light  of  the  candle,  the 
wounded  man  made  a  movement  of  terror,  which  cor- 
roborated the  first  suspicions  of  Magnus. 

"Don't  cry  out,  or  I'll  kill  thee,"  said  the  veteran,  un- 
sheathing his  long  dirk. 

"Have  your  talk,"  said  Carquefou,  closing  the  door 
carefully.    "I'll  protect  you  against  interruption." 

The  wounded  man,  who  was  lying  on  a  truckle  bed, 
followed  every  movement  of  the  two  friends  with  a  hag- 
gard eye. 


A  TERRIBLE    AWAKENING  71 

"Wert  thou  not  with  the  scoundrels  who  slept  last  night 
at  the  inn  of  Master  Innocent?"  asked  Carquefou. 

The  wounded  man  replied  with  a  groan. 

"'Twas  you  who  carried  off  our  masters?"  added  Mag- 
nus. 

"Our  leader  enrolled  us  for  an  expedition.  An  honest 
soldier  has  only  his  word." 

"What's  your  leader's  name?"' 

"Mattheus  Orlscopp." 

"Mattheus!"  cried  Carquefou  with  a  bound.  "Thou 
sayest  Mattheus  Orlscopp?  God  of  heaven,  if  my  hand 
does  not  cut  his  heart  out  promptly  the  count  and  the 
marquis  are  dead  !  " 


72       THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNESX 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST. 

In  the  meantime  Mattheus  Orlscopp  continued  on  his 
way.  He  was  not  better  mounted  than  Magnus  and  Car- 
quefou,  but  he  had  plenty  of  gold  to  barter  for  new  horses 
when  the  old  ones  foundered.  The  band  stopped  only  to 
take  a  meal  in  morsels,  and  then  set  out  again.  Two  or 
three  times  they  changed  their  course  and  their  gar- 
ments, the  better  to  evade  those  who  might  be  on  their 
track.  Ordinarily  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  traveled 
on  horse ;  they  were  described  as  state  criminals,  whom 
Count  Tilly  was  sending  to  Munich.  At  times  they  made 
them  sit  in  carriages,  whose  curtains  were  heremetically 
sealed.  Then  it  was  said  that  they  were  noble  lords,  who 
were  ill  and  feared  the  open  air.  Mattheus  never  lost 
sight  of  Armand-Louis,  but  he  addressed  Renaud  more 
readily. 

"Life  is  all  happiness  and  unhappiness,"  he  said  to 
him.  "Brandenbourg  and  Saxony  are  not  like  the  Neth- 
erlands. There  'twas  Malines,  here  'tis  Magdebourg. 
One  day  you  threw  Mattheus  Orlscopp  to  the  ground, 
an  ugly  way  of  thanking  him  for  the  good  supper  he  gave 
you.  Another  day  'tis  Mattheus  who  is  the  stronger.  But 
look  whether  I  am  not  better  than  you.  Instead  of  mak- 
ing you  swallow  a  poniard,  I  provide  you  with  horses, 
food  and  escort.  Later  I  will  give  you  the  resting  place 
to  which  you  have  a  right." 

When  they  were  separated  from  the  inn  of  Master  In- 
nocent by  some  dozens  of  miles  and  in  a  country  where 
only  detached  bands  of  the  imperial  troops  were  to  be 
seen,  Mattheus,  fully  assured,  caused  the  gags  to  be  re- 
moved from  his  prisoners. 

"Now  let  us  chat,"  he  said  to  Renaud.  The  latter,  who 
had  had  time  to  chew  his  anger  and  felt  in  no  mood 


THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST        73 

to  converse  with  this  scoundrel,  glared  at  him  from  head 
to  foot,  and  witii  a  shrug  said : 

"My  good  fellow,  you  are  very  ugly.  Have  some  pol- 
ish given  to  your  face  to  begin  with,  and  then  we'll  see." 

Some  of  tiie  men  of  the  escort  burst  out  in  laughter. 
Mattheus  Orlscopp  turned  purple. 

"Ah,  you  joke,  do  you  ?"  he  said.  "We'll  see  what  kind 
of  a  face  yours  will  be  in  the  place  to  which  I  am  taking 
you." 

"God  grant  it  be  not  like  yours,"  returned  Renaud 
coldly. 

From  this  moment  this  was  Renaud's  weapon.  He 
executed  infinite  variations  on  the  theme  of  the  ugliness 
of  Mattheus  Orlscopp.  He  did  not  know  whether  Mat- 
theus was  uglier  at  night  than  in  the  morning;  on  foot 
or  on  horse;  fasting  or  after  supper;  by  the  light  of  a 
candle,  or  in  the  glare  of  the  sun.  One  thing  only  was 
possible,  namely,  that  he  might  have  an  uglier  shape  than 
a  face.  This  was  a  problem  Renaud  had  not  yet  solved, 
and  on  its  uncertainties  his  wit  did  not  go  dry. 

"To  be  sure,  your  lordship  has  the  nose  of  a  hyena," 
said  he,  "the  eyes  of  an  owl  and  the  snout  of  a  goat;  but 
in  revenge  your  lordsiiip  has  the  body  of  an  ape,  the  legs 
of  a  heron  and  the  feet  of  a  frog.  "Tis  hard  to  say  which 
is  ugliest." 

Mattheus  was  stupid  enough  to  show  that  these  pleas- 
antries tortured  him,  and,  seeing  this,  Renaud  did  not 
spare  him.    At  times,  even,  he  referred  to  Armand-Louis. 

"Docs  it  not  surprise  thee,"  he  asked,  "that  a  man  with 
so  long  a  nose  should  have  so  broad  a  mouth  ?  tie  might 
have  selected  one  or  the  other.  Such  little  eyes  and  such 
enormous  ears  are  too  much  for  one  visage.  Tell  me 
thy  opinion  of  it :  the  magnificent  lord  who  accompanies 
us  desires  to  know  it." 

"And  what  cast  of  \isage  w^ouldst  thou  expect  in  a  man 
who  has  a  soul  more  grovelling  than  a  worm,  flatter  than 
a  leaf,  and  blacker  than  coal?  'Tis  n(;t  a  face,  'tis  a  sign- 
board." 

"Prythcf."  replied  Renaud,  "we'll  hang  this  signboard 
to  the  branch  of  an  oak." 

The  raillery  lA  the  oiu-,  the  arrogance  of  the  other  grew 


74        THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST 

to  make  a  singular  impression  on  the  minds  of  the  rascals 
in  Orlscopp's  train.  They  rejoiced  over  these  qualities 
of  boldness  and  good  humor,  which  please  even  the  most 
perverted  natures.  A  kind  of  sympathy  softened  their 
stone  hearts,  which  showed  itself  on  several  occasions. 
A  stout  lansquenet,  whose  life  had  been  spent  in  wars  and 
who  had  slept  on  all  the  highroads,  did  not  fear  to  mani- 
fest his  inward  sentiments.  The  moment  arrived  when 
Mattheus  understood,  that  if  an  effort  should  be  made  to 
deliver  his  captives,  he  could  no  longer  rely  on  the  aid 
of  his  companions.  He  reached  a  decision  at  once,  and 
on  a  certain  morning  summoned  the  lansquenet. 

"Friend  Rudiger,"  he  said  to  him,  "I  give  you  thirty 
rix-dollars.  It  is  the  salary  I  agreed  to  pay  you.  Count 
them  and  go  to  the  devil !" 

"Ah,  'tis  a  farewell !" 

"And  I  fancy  that  we  will  have  no  further  business  to- 
gether." 

"You  promised  me  a  bounty,  it  seems  to  me." 

"Have  a  care  that  I  do  not  lay  it  on  your  back  with  a 
rope,  and  be  thankful.  Thy  heart  is  much  too  tender 
not  to  be  under  a  thin  skin.  This  said,  be  off  as  fast  as 
possible.  Besides,  console  thyself ;  thou  art  not  the  only 
one  whom  I've  brusquely  bidden  to  leave  me.  My  escort 
it  shedding  its  skin." 

Rudiger  looked  out  the  window  and  saw  twenty  new 
cavaliers  in  the  midst  of  the  men  who  were  making  their 
preparations  to  depart.  The  newcomers  were  part  of  a 
troop  disbanded,  after  an  unfortunate  engagement  v/ith 
the  Swedes. 

"I  enlisted  them  last  night,"  said  Mattheus.     "There 
are  Croatians  and  Bulgarians  among  them,  who  would' 
hang  a  man  as  easily  as  they  quaff  a  glass  of  wine." 

The  struggle  was  unequal. 

"Till  we  meet  again,  Lord  Mattheus,"  said  Rudiger, 
taking  the  rix-dollars  and  biting  his  lips. 

After  the  departure  of  Rudiger  and  the  others  he  had 
sent  away,  Mattheus  changed  his  course  suddenly,  de- 
spatched a  messenger  with  the  command  to  stop  neither 
night  nor  day,  made  his  cavaliers  do  double  stages,  and 
at  the  end  of  the  week  reached  a  castle,  whose  every  door 


THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST        75 

was  opened  to  him  as  soon  as  he  had  whispered  a  few 
words  to  the  seneschal.  He  and  his  men  entered.  He 
visited  its  every  nook  and  corner,  then  announced  that  it 
seemed  to  him  to  be  a  good  place  to  camp. 

Ravcnnest  Castle  was  situated  on  the  precipitous  slope 
of  a  mountain,  and  it  overlooked  a  gorge,  through  which 
a  torrent  rushed.  Great  pine  woods  buried  it  from  sight. 
Its  walls  were  solid,  it  had  four  towers,  a  moat  and  a 
drawbridge.  It  was  a  haunt  whence  a  garrison  could  not 
be  easily  routed. 

Renaud  was  placed  in  the  Crow's  tower ;  Armand- 
Louis  in  the  Serpent's  tower.  The  two  were  distin- 
guished by  their  form.  The  one  was  round,  the  other 
scjuare.  Otherwise  they  had  the  same  solidity,  the  same 
walls,  the  same  furnishings,  which  consisted  of  a  wretched 
tiuckle  bed,  two  stools,  an  iron  candlestick,  a  table  of 
worm-eaten  wood.  Two  dormer  windows,  adorned  with 
thick  bars,  allowed  daylight  to  pour  in ;  the  rain  and  the 
north  wind  entered  as  well. 

"There's  the  room,"  said  Mattheus ;  "  'tis  furnished." 

"It  is  almost  as  pretty  as  you,"  answered  Renaud. 

"Rely  on  me  that  your  food  be  all  that  can  be  desired," 
added  Mattheus. 

"Then  it  won't  be  like  you.  my  amiable  lord." 

Mattheus  tried  to  smile,  flashed  a  sinister  glance  upon 
Renaud,  and  closed  the  door  violently. 

Nothing  troubled  the  silence  of  the  castle  during  the 
night.  The  wind  blew  in  between  the  iron  bars.  The 
monotonous  tread  of  the  sentries,  pacing  around  the 
towers,  could  be  heard.  Renaud  sang  to  let  his  friend 
know  the  part  of  the  building  in  which  he  was  placed. 
Armand-Louis  made  a  panther's  leap  and  hung  by  his 
hands  to  the  bars  of  the  dormer.  Before  him,  but  sepa- 
rated by  a  curtain,  was  the  tower  whence  proceeded  tlic 
voice.  An  ocean  of  sombre  verdure  stretched  itself  out 
in  the  distance  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

A  heavy  sigh  rose  from  the  breast  of  Armand-Louis 
and  he  let  himself  fall  back  upon  the  floor. 

"Saviour,"  he  prayed,  with  his  hands  and  eyes  towards 
heaven,  "my  body  and  soul  are  yours." 


76        THE  DUNGEONS  OE  RAVENNEST 

The  next  morning  the  door  was  opened  and  John  of 
Werth  entered  his  cell. 

"I  suspected  as  much,"  said  Armand-Louis.  "From  all 
I  can  see  you  dabble  in  many  trades." 

"Count,"  answered  the  Bavarian  coldly,  "one  has  not 
King  Gustavus  Adolphus  always  under  his  hand.  We 
are  not  at  Carlscrona  now." 

"I  see  that  from  the  faces  about  me.  But  let's  have 
done.    What  do  you  wish  ?" 

"  'Tis  very  simple.  You  are  my  prisoner,  and  the  laws 
of  war  give  me  a  right  to  exact  a  ransom.  Give  me  your 
weight  in  gold  coins  and  you  are  free." 

"My  weight?  Where  do  you  think  I  can  find  such  a 
sum?" 

"If  I  knew,  I  should  certainly  have  been  the  first  to 
seek  it.  Now  there  is  another  means  of  reaching  an  un- 
derstanding, and  an  easier  one." 

"Ah!" 

"Renounce,  by  a  signed  declaration,  the  hand  of  Mad- 
emoiselle de  Souvigny ;  give  her  back  her  troth,  and  on 
the  instant  the  doors  of  the  castle  will  be  opened  to  you." 

"You  dare  to  call  that  an  easier  means?  This  hand 
shall  sooner  be  cold  in  death  than  sign  such  a  declara- 
tion !" 

"Nevertheless,  reflect.  King  Gustavus  Adolphus  does 
not  know  where  you  are.  His  armies  are  far  from  here 
and  nobody  will  come  to  aid  you." 

"If  that  is  all  you  have  to  say  to  me,  why  this  visit? 
You  might  have  saved  yourself  the  trouble,  and  me  the 
disgust  of  it." 

John  of  Werth  arose  and  called.  His  features  remained 
impassive.  When  a  servant  had  placed  the  objects  he 
desired  on  a  table,  he  added : 

"Here  are  pen,  ink  and  paper.  A  few  written  words 
will  set  you  free.  Perhaps  you  may  not  always  be  as  ob- 
stinate as  you  are  now.  The  walls  of  this  castle  are  good 
stone  and  will  last  longer  than  you.    Farewell,  Count." 

Armand-Louis  did  not  stir,  and  soon  the  sound  of  the 
baron's  tread  was  lost  in  the  stairway  of  the  tower. 

From  the  Serpent's  tower  the  Bavarian  went  to  the 


THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST        77 

Crow's  tower.    Here  he  found  Renaud  carving  the  profile 
of  Mattheus  on  the  wall  with  the  teeth  of  a  fork. 

"Marquis,"  said  John  of  Werth,  entering,  "I  am  sorry 
to  disturb  you.  but  continue  if  that  amuses  you." 

Renaud  turned  halfway  and  without  the  least  surprise, 
answered : 

"Oh,  there's  no  hurry.  You  know  I  have  my  model 
always  before  my  eyes.  "Tis  a  remarkably  ugly  face  and 
such  a  one  as  only  your  lordship  could  have  chosen — " 

"Lord  Mattheus  has  my  entire  confidence." 

"He  deserves  it." 

"The  fortunes  of  war  have  placed  you  in  his  hands." 

"In  his  claws,  Baron." 

"He  has  the  right  to  dispose  of  you." 

"I  fancy  his  lordship  is  using  this  right." 

"Nevertheless,  if  you  renounce  the  hand  of  Mademoi- 
selle de  Pardaillau,  I  might  make  use  of  my  rights  to  get 
you  out  of  here." 

"God's  day,"  cried  Renaud,  with  a  leap.  "I  thought 
you  were  minded  of  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny !" 

"Oh,  I  am  always  minded  of  her;  but  if  I  request  this 
written  and  signed  declaration  from  you,  it  is  in  view  of  a 
project  to  assure  the  happiness  of  Mademoiselle  de  Par- 
daillau." 

"Baron,  you  are  too  good.  I  am  so  unhappy  as  to  be 
possessed  of  such  an  extremely  nervous  disposition  that 
I  am  moved  to  break  something,  a  table,  a  stool  or  any- 
thing handy  upon  the  back  of  whomsoever  mentions  the 
name  of  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan.  You  can  see  that 
such  inclinations  might  be  destructive  to  the  rich  furnish- 
ings of  my  apartment.  Allow  me  to  hope,  therefore,  that 
our  interview  is  ended." 

Jolui  of  Worth  rose,  and  pointing  to  the  implements  of 
writing,  which  a  servant  had  just  placed  on  the  table,  he 
said : 

"Everything  is  here.  Two  lines  upon  the  paper,  and, 
in  consideration  of  my  friendship  with  him.  Lord  Mat- 
theus will  furnish  you  with  a  horse  to  leave  the  castle." 

John  of  W' erth  descended  the  stairs ;  soon  afterward 
could  be  hoard  the  rattle  of  the  chains  lotting  fall  the 
drawbridge.    John  of  Werth  was  going  away. 


78        THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST 

Another  night  fell,  silent  and  black  as  the  preceding. 
Armand-Louis  hung  by  the  bars  of  his  window  and  saw 
a  light  burning  in  the  tower  occupied  by  Renaud.  The 
light  came  and  went ;  his  companion  was  tracing  a  gro- 
tesque image  of  Mattheus  on  the  wall  of  his  cell  with  the 
smoke  of  the  candle.  This  done,  Renaud  began  to  sing. 
He  did  not  think  that  his  day  had  been  lost. 

Armand-Louis'  character  did  not  afford  him  the  same 
subjects  for  distraction.  His  thoughts  had  but  one  ob- 
ject, Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny,  ever  and  always.  Where 
was  she  now  ?  Did  Count  Pappenheim  forget  the  prom- 
ises he  had  made  in  the  midst  of  the  flames  and  massacre 
of  Magdebourg?  Should  he  ever  see  Adrienne  again, 
and  would  she  still  be  loving  and  faithful?  And  brave 
Magnus,  what  had  become  of  him?  Had  he  not  been 
killed?  If  living,  would  he  struggle  to  save  his  master, 
as  he  had  done  before  ? 

"Ah,"  thought  the  Huguenot,  "when  one  has  such 
hearts  as  those  in  keeping,  hope  is  always  with  one." 

Meanwhile  days  followed  days.  The  same  silence  con- 
tinued, interrupted  by  squalls  of  wind  in  the  pines  and 
the  songs  of  Renaud.  When  Armand-Louis  hung  from 
the  bars  of  his  window,  no  rider  could  be  seen  in  the 
black  shade  of  the  forest.  The  hours  grew  longer  and 
more  heavy.  Each  day  at  noon  precisely,  Mattheus  Orl- 
scopp  entered  his  cell,  looked  at  the  table,  and  seeing 
nothing,  withdrew  without  a  word. 

Soon  Armand-Louis  began  to  notice  that  the  meagre 
pittance  which  was  served  him  for  breakfast  and  dinner 
diminished  insensibly.  The  crust  of  bread  grew  smaller, 
the  plate  contained  less  meat. 

It  was  the  regimen  of  a  convalescent  applied  to  a 
healthy  man,  the  nourishment  of  a  child  given  to  a  sol- 
dier. 

He  remarked  this  to  Mattheus. 

"Sometimes  fever  is  caused  in  the  garrison,"  replied  the 
latter,  smiling,  "by  too  good  cheer." 

Thenceforward  Armand-Louis  disdained  to  make  any 
complaints.  On  the  morrow  he  had  the  dinner  of  an 
anchorite. 

Several  times  when  he  awoke  at  dawn  he  had  noticed 


THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST        79 

birds  entering  his  cell  through  the  two  windows  to  seize 
the  crumbs  of  bread  on  tne  tloor.  An  idea  crossed  his 
brain,  just  when  hunger  began  to  gnaw  at  his  entrails. 
By  the  aid  of  a  cloth,  which  he  adroitly  threw  over  the 
little  thieves,  he  succeeded  each  morning  in  capturing 
two  or  three  of  them.  Then  he  hung  from  their  throats 
or  on  their  wings  a  piece  of  paper  fastened  by  a  thread. 
On  the  paper  he  wrote  the  words,  "Ravcnnest  Castle; 
Armand-Louis  of  La  Guerche."  This  done  he  liberated 
his  tiny  captives,  who  flew  away  with  a  thousand  cries. 

"Who  knows,"  thought  Armand-Louis ;  "perhaps  one 
of  these  scraps  of  paper  will  fall  into  the  hands  of  a 
friend." 

Each  day  the  birds  bore  these  uncertain  messages  to 
the  four  points  of  the  horizon. 

The  observation  which  Armand-Louis  had  made  upon 
the  fare  which  was  being  served  to  him,  Renaud  had  also 
made.  It  was  the  appearance  of  a  breakfast,  followed  by 
the  light  shadow  of  a  dinner.  Renaud,  whose  appetite 
was  superb,  almost  broke  the  back  of  the  servant  who 
laid  the  ironic  meal  on  a  corner  of  the  table.  On  the 
following  day  his  dinner  was  passed  into  him  through  a 
peep-hole,  and  was  more  slender  still. 

"And  yet  it  is  hard  to  imagine  how  it  could  be  so," 
murmured  Renaud,  as  he  went  to  revenge  himself  by 
drawing  a  skeleton  of  Matthcus.  For  some  time  he  re- 
sisted this  slow  torture,  inflicted  with  the  patience  of  a 
cat  which  torments  a  mouse.  Then  he  felt  his  forces  fail- 
ing him.  Horrible  pains  in  his  stomach,  a  ringing  in  his 
ears.  He  awaited  the  hour  of  his  repast  with  a  f.rt^cious 
impatience,  and  he  flung  himself  upon  the  wretchctl  food 
which  was  served  to  him  like  a  beast  of  prey  upon  the 
unclean  flesh  it  discovers  on  the  highway.  This  mad- 
dened him,  but  he  yielded  to  the  cry  of  hunger.  He  re- 
covered a  little  of  his  good  humor  only  when  lie  saw  Mat- 
theus.  A  flood  of  sarcasm  would  then  issue  from  his  lips, 
which  were  pallid  with  suffering. 

Uy  a  refmcment  of  cruelty,  .\L'ittlieus,  who  until  now 
had  allowed  Renaud  to  remain  in  his  tower,  had  him 
transferred  to  a  r<j(jm  in  the  centre  of  the  building. 
whence  he  could  see  the  garrison  at  table.     The  clatter 


8o        THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST 

of  the  dishes,  the  tipping  of  glasses,  reached  the  prison- 
er's ears  Hke  the  refrain  of  a  joyous  song.  The  vapors 
of  the  meats  mounted  to  his  nostrils  and  redoubled  the 
anguish  of  his  stomach. 

"Let's  see,"  sneered  Mattheus ;  "a  prayer,  sir,  and  I'll 
throw  you  a  bone." 

"  'Tis  wonderful,  gracious  lord,"  retorted  Renaud, 
drawing  himself  up,  "how  ill  good  eating  befits  you.  You 
are  always  more  ugly,  even  when  eating." 

In  this  terrible  struggle,  the  advantage  was  not  always 
with  Mattheus.  He  was  laughed  at.  More  than  one  sol- 
dier glanced  from  a  corner  of  his  eye,  and  the  phenome- 
non which  had  occurred  on  the  way  to  Ravennest  was 
again  taking  place.  Some  of  the  less  hardened  guards 
made  secret  vows  to  deliver  a  prisoner  who  supported  his 
miserable  fortune  so  gallantly.  Mattheus  perceived  these 
feelings,  and  his  fury  consequently  increased. 

Each  evening  a  doctor  entered  Renaud's  room  and  felt 
his  pulse.    Then  wagging  his  head,  he  would  say  : 

"Humph,  the  pulse  is  violent,  hard,  impetuous.  The 
regimen  is  too  succulent.  A  little  dieting  will  do  you 
great  good." 

Renaud  had  an  infernal  desire  to  bite  this  doctor.  He 
contented  himself  with  asking  him  quite  seriously  wheth- 
er he  was  the  son  of  Mattheus,  his  father,  his  grand- 
nephew,  or  his  grandfather.  He  told  him  that  their  noses 
were  cousins-german. 

One  morning  Mattheus  appeared  in  the  room  of  Re- 
naud. The  floor  was  covered  with  scraps  of  paper  of  all 
sizes  on  each  of  which  was  drawn  the  hideous  portrait 
of  the  master  of  Ravennest. 

"Be  prudent,  sweet  lord,"  cried  Renaud ;  "if  you  walk 
on  those  dear  pictures  you  would  be  putting  the  hoof  of 
a  goat  on  the  snout  of  a  wolf.    What  a  pity !" 

"Marquis,"  said  Mattheus,  bowing,  "Baron  John  of 
Werth  is  getting  tired  of  sheltering  you  so  sumptuously. 
The  place  and  table  of  a  prince.  It  is  too  much.  If  it 
does  not  please  you  to  sign  this  renunciation  of  good  will, 
he  will  be  constrained  to  use  means  to  make  you,  which 
are  repugnant  to  my  gentleness." 

"Have  a  care.     If    your   tenderness    overcomes    you, 


THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST        8i 

you'll  make  a  worse  than  ordinary  grimace.  That  would 
be  frightful." 

Mattheus  made  a  sign.  Two  valets  seized  Renaud  by 
the  arms,  sat  him  upon  a  stool  and  passed  a  rope  around 
his  wrists.    The  rope  was  held  fast  by  a  stick. 

"Will  you  sign?"  asked  Mattheus. 

"Ha,  ha."  cried  Renaud,  "I  believe,  God  forgive  me 
for  so  thinking,  but  I  believe  that  the  left  side  of  your 
pretty  face  is  more  abortive  than  the  right.  'Tis  a  ques- 
tion." 

"Turn !"  cried  Mattheus. 

The  two  servantsnurncd  the  stick  about  which  the  rope 
was  tied.     Renaud  paled.     The  rope  was  straining. 

"Will  you  sign  ?"  repeated  Mattheus. 

"Well,"  added  Renaud,  "I  believe  the  front  of  his  face 
is  uglier  than  either  side  of  it.    See  if  it  is  not,  fellows." 

The  servants  smiled. 

"Turn  again,"  roared  Mattheus,  pale  with  rage.  The 
stick  was  turned,  and  the  rope  entered  into  the  flesh  of 
Renaud.  He  let  forth  a  cry  and  shut  his  eyes.  His  face 
was  like  death.  The  doctor,  who  had  glided  into  the 
room,  bathed  the  sweaty  brow  of  the  sufTerer  with  a 
cloth  soaked  in  vinegar.     Renaud  opened  his  eyes. 

"Heavens  !"  he  said.    "Two  masks  !" 

"Turn,  turn,"  yelled  Mattheus. 

The  stick  traced  a  semi-circle.  The  bones  cracked. 
Renaud's  head  fell  upon  his  breast.  The  physician  placed 
his  fingers  upon  an  artery. 

"Another  turn,"  he  said,  "and  our  prisoner  will  suf- 
fer no  more.    This  is  not  what  you  desire,  I  think." 

"Certainly  not,"  answered  Mattheus.  Even  before  they 
had  received  the  signal  the  two  servants  had  unknotted 
the  bloody  rope.  Renaud  breathed  feebly.  The  physi- 
cian pressed  the  cloth  of  vinegar  upon  his  temi)les  and 
upon  his  nose.    Renaud  reopened  his  eyes. 

"Well,  what  have  you  to  say?"  asked  Mattheus. 

"More  and  more  ugly,  always  more  ugly,"  murmured 
Renaud.  anrl  then  swfjonerl. 

Mattheus  seized  a  poniard  which  he  wore  at  his  belt, 
and  arose.    The  jjhysician  seized  his  arm,  saying: 

"Do  not  kill  him  ;  you  will  regret  it." 


82        THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST 

"You  are  right,"  returned  Mattheus,  shoving  back  the 
weapon  in  its  sheath.  "  'Twere  madness  to  yield  to  the 
first  impulse.  Take  the  prisoner  to  the  green  room. 
We'll  see  to-morrow  whether  he  is  in  condition  to  see  me 
again." 

The  green  room  was  a  dungeon,  built  under  the 
foundations  of  the  castle,  out  of  a  rock,  which  oozed  a 
humid  moss  of  green  scum  and  slime.  It  was  reached  by 
a  low  door  of  massive  iron.  In  one  corner  were  a  few 
wisps  of  straw,  on  which  they  laid  Renaud,  who  was  al- 
most lifeless.  They  would  have  thought  him  dead  were 
it  not  for  the  irregular  beating  of  his  pulse.  The  physi- 
cian hung  a  lantern  on  the  wall,  and  under  it  laid  a  jug 
of  water  and  a  bit  of  black  bread. 

"Let  us  be  human,"  he  said. 

On  the  day  Renaud  underwent  this  terrible  cruelty,  all 
Armand-Louis  found  on  his  table  was  a  crust  of  bread, 
harder  than  a  shell,  and  a  pot  half  filled  of  brackish  water. 
It  was  one  of  the  principles  of  Mattheus  to  entertain  no 
unjust  preferences.  With  the  nourishment  of  his  two 
boarders  rendered  alike,  for  so  he  sometimes  called  the 
Frenchmen,  Mattheus  believed  it  honest  to  also  establish 
an  equilibrium  in  their  lodgings.  Therefore  Armand- 
Louis  was  conducted  to  the  Red  Room.  This  was  a  hol- 
low cavern  in  Ravennest  Castle,  built  under  the  Crow's 
tower  out  of  a  piece  of  red  granite.  It  had  likewise  a 
wisp  of  straw  in  one  corner  and  along  the  walls  were  cer- 
tain hooks  of  sinister  aspect.  A  lantern  hung  from  one 
of  the  hooks,  and  under  it  lay  a  jug  of  water  and  a  quar- 
tern of  black  bread. 

One  of  the  servants  who  accompanied  Mattheus  on  this 
subterranean  visit  threw  a  coil  of  rope  and  some  iron  balls 
armed  with  a  ring  into  a  corner. 

"Count,"  said  the  Governor  of  the  castle,  "we  shall 
talk  to-morrow." 

In  all  Germany  there  was  not  a  happier  man  than 
Mattheus  Orlscopp  at  this  moment.  He  had  everything 
in  profusion,  good  table  and  rich  cellars,  a  warm  bed  and 
fresh  beer,  a  tribe  of  willing  servants,  fat  game  in  the 
neighboring  forest,  gold  in  his  pockets,  gibbets  on  his 


THE  DUNGEONS  OF  RAVENNEST         83 

towers,  and  the  protection  of  a  mighty  lord  who  had  need 
of  him. 

To  crown  this  fortunate  existence,  he  liad  the  deUcious 
pleasure  of  tormenting  slowly  and  voluptuously  two 
brave  gentlemen,  wliom  he  hated  from  the  depths  of  his 
black  soul.. 

Assuredly  he  would  not  exchange  the  joys  of  this  life 
for  any  other,  no  matter  how  brilliant.  He  compared 
them  with  the  pleasures  of  the  cheery  sojourn  he  had 
spent  in  the  vicinity  of  Malines,  when,  in  company  with 
the  worthy  Don  Gaspard  d'Albaccte  y  Buitrago,  he 
gusted  the  most  delicate  wines  of  Spain  from  so  generous 
a  hand.  Now  what  a  change !  Then  he  acted  on  an- 
other's account,  and  under  the  orders  of  a  leader,  while 
at  present  his  sole  guide  and  counsellor  was  his  caprice ! 


84  THE  KINDNESS  OF  FATE 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  KINDNESS  OF  FATE. 

vSuch  was  not  the  state  of  mind  of  Magnus  and  Carque- 
fou,  whom  we  saw  last  on  the  highway  after  their  meet- 
ing with  the  soldier  whose  leg  had  been  broken. 

At  the  gates  of  the  next  city,  where  they  arrived  at 
night  after  a  forced  march,  they  learned  that  neither  a 
cavalry  troop  nor  carriages,  nor  prisoners  had  been  seen. 

"It  is  now  four  days,"  replied  a  citizen  to  their  enquiry, 
"since  anybody  passed  here.  There  is  a  Swedish  regi- 
ment two  leagues  distant  toward  the  north,  a  Croatian 
regiment  at  half  a  league  toward  the  south,  and,  therefore, 
no  one  dares  to  venture  on  the  roads." 

"Did  the  rascal  deceive  us?"  said  Carquefou,  minded 
of  the  wounded  man. 

"No  ;  he  was  too  frightened,"  returned  Magnus.  "The 
scoundrel  whom  we  are  hunting  had  changed  his  course." 

They  returned  sorrowfully  on  their  tracks.  All  traces 
were  disappearing.  They  rode  at  hazard  in  an  unknown 
country,  and  by  hostile  ways,  where  a  thousand  dangers 
might  arise  at  any  moment.  What  a  number  of  maraud- 
ers did  they  not  meet?  How  many  leaders  in  search  of 
good  arms  and  horses?  But  no  consideration  could  pre- 
vent Magnus  and  Carquefou  from  persevering  in  their 
design,  and  if  at  times  they  thought  of  the  perils  with 
which  their  enterprise  was  rife,  it  was  only  in  the  fear  lest 
an  accident  should  unfit  them  to  devote  all  their  life  and 
effort  to  accomplishing  it. 

They  explored  each  town,  each  village,  each  hamlet. 
There  was  no  more  trace  of  the  passage  of  Mattheus 
than  of  the  flight  of  an  eel  through  the  reeds  of  a  pond. 
This  new  discomfiture,  far  from  weakening  the  resolution 
of  Magnus,  only  exasperated  him.  He  could  not  pro- 
nounce the  name  of  Mattheus  Orlscopp  without  paling. 
Never  had  such  a  fierce  hate  gnawed  at  his  heart. 


THE  KINDNESS  OF  FATE  85 

One  evening  when  they  were  hastily  eating  a  bit  of 
bread  and  some  eold  meat  at  the  door  of  a  tavern,  Mag- 
nus remarked  a  soldier  who  was  studying  him  attentively. 
The  veteran  reiter,  who  did  but  seek  occasion  to  question 
people,  went  up  to  the  soldier,  who  arose  and  said : 

"By  the  way,  were  you  not  at  the  inn  of  a  rascal  called 
Master  Innocent,  and  did  you  not  sup  there  with  two 
gentlemen  last  month ?' 

"I  was,  'tis  true,"  cried  ^lagnus.  "Do  you  know  them, 
or  where  they  are?" 

"I  know  them  to  be  brave  soldiers,  and  they  interest 
me,  who  helped  to  garrot  them,  more  than  I  can  say." 

"Ah,  you  were  with  Mattheus  Orlscopp."  said  Mag- 
nus, whose  hand  instinctively  sought  the  hilt  of  Baliverne. 

"Yes,  but  let  us  not  quarrel.  I  tell  you  these  brave 
young  men  won  me  by  their  valiant  humor.  As  for  Mat- 
theus, he's  a  bandit  to  whom  I  would  not  regret  doing  a 
dirty  turn.  There  were  ten  counterfeits  in  the  dollars  he 
gave  me." 

"God's  day !  If  you  put  me  on  his  track,  had  I  a  thou- 
sand ducats  they  would  be  yours." 

"Then,  comrades,  ride  no  more  toward  the  west.  Lord 
Mattheus  has  given  up  his  first  project  of  going  to 
Munich.  I  think  you'll  find  him  by  Holberg  way,  and  if 
you  will  take  me  as  your  guide,  I  have  an  idea  that  we'll 
catch  him.    Rudiger  has  a  good  foot  and  a  good  eye.' 

"  'Tis  a  bargain,"  said  Magnus,  "thou  art  ours  and  I 
am  thine." 

"And  to  both  of  us  who  make  the  pair,"  added  Carque- 
fou,  giving  a  vigorous  handshake  to  their  auxiliary. 

Rudiger,  it  will  be  recalled,  was  one  of  the  cavaliers 
whom  Mattheus  expelled  when  he  found  that  their  sym- 
pathy for  his  prisoners  was  assuming  too  great  propor- 
tions. 

He  took  a  cross-road,  rode  four  or  five  leagues 
through  a  f(jrest,  forded  a  river  and  rediscovered  tin- 
traces  of  Mattheus. 

"(Jh,  if  I  had  a  thousand  ducats!"  exclaimed  Magnus, 
almost  embracing  him  in  gratitude. 

"Bah,"  returned    Rudiger    with    a    laugh,    "it    seems 


86  THE  KINDNESS  OF  FATE 

original  and  amusing  for  me  to  do  something  for  nothing. 
'Tis  a  change." 

They  forged  ahead.  Confidence  was  restored  in  the 
hearts  of  the  three  companions.  Even  the  horses  rode 
with  more  elastic  step,  as  though  they  knew  what  was 
passing  in  the  minds  of  their  masters.  For  six  more 
leagues  they  continued  on  the  right  track.  Then  all  trace 
of  Mattheus  and  his  company  suddenly  ceased.  They 
seemed  to  have  vanished  like  a  procession  of  phantoms. 

Magnus,  Carquefou  and  Rudiger  beat  about  the  coun- 
try separately  on  all  sides.  They  examined  every  hut  and 
inn,  they  allowed  no  traveller  to  pass  unquestioned. 
Rudiger  was  of  that  race  of  hunters  who  rage  on  a  trail. 
He  returned  at  night  to  their  rendevous  all  fagged  and 
discouraged. 

"The  damned  fox,"  he  said,  "he  has  broken  his  trail." 

A  profound  sadness  overwhelmed  Magnus.  For  the 
first  time  he  felt  his  courage  fail ;  nor  was  Carquefou  more 
hopeful. 

"Goodness  of  heaven,"  he  murmured,  "if  Magnus 
weeps  all  is  lost." 

They  were  now  in  the  common  room  of  a  sorry  inn. 
where  carters,  hunters  and  travellers  of  all  sorts  were 
drinking.  A  band  of  gypsies  stopped  at  the  door  and 
Rudiger  went  out  with  Carquefou  to  mingle  with  them 
and  question  them. 

Magnus  remained  in  a  corner,  his  head  resting  in  his 
hands,  Baliverne  laid  across  his  knees.  He  fancied  a 
black  gulf  was  yawning  before  him. 

A  boy  of  about  fifteen  years  came  in,  holding  a  bird 
in  his  hands. 

"Isn't  this  wonderful  ?"  he  said  to  the  hostess,  who  was 
spreading  the  cloth  for  the  travellers.  "Here's  a  bird  with 
a  bit  of  paper  tied  by  a  string  about  its  throat.  'Tis  the 
third  I've  caught  in  fifteen  days.  See,  there  are  some 
words  written  on  the  paper!" 

The  child  drew  near  the  candle  and  endeavored  to  read 
them. 

"It's  impossible,"  he  said.  "The  rain  has  washed  out 
the  ink.  There's  only  one  word  I  can  make  out,  and  it 
is  always  the  same  one." 


THE  KINDNESS  OF  FATE  87 

He  placed  the  paper  on  the  stove  to  dry  it.  Some  one 
opened  tlie  door  and  a  gvist  of  wind  sent  the  paper  flying 
to  the  feet  of  Magnus.  He  took  it  up  mechanically  and 
turned  it  about  in  his  hands. 

"See."  added  the  child,  "would  you  not  say  that  there, 
quite  at  the  bottom,  are  three  words.  It  seems  as  if  it 
were  the  name  of  a  man.  'Tis  easy  to  read  the  first  one, 
which  is  'Armand.'  The  others  vanish." 

Magnus  leaped  to  his  feet.  ?Ie  devoured  the  paper 
with  his  eyes  and  recognized  the  writing  of  his  master. 

"Armand — Armand-Louis  of  La  Guerche,  that's  it," 
he  said,  weeping.  Then  he  kissed  the  child,  who  looked 
at  the  tearful  veteran  in  speechless  astonishment. 

When  Rudigcr  and  Carqucfou  re-entered  they  found 
Magnus  on  his  knees,  bareheaded  and  with  hands  joined. 
His  features  glowed. 

"Oh.  God,  you  are  good,"  he  prayed.  "My  God,  I  be- 
lieve." 

"What  is  this?"  asked  Rudiger. 

"Now  I've  got  him,"  cried  Magnus,  leaping  towards 
Carquefou. 

"Got  whom?" 

"Why,  Mattheus,  to  be  sure." 

"Thou  hast  seen  him  ?" 

"No,  but  look.    Pshaw.    I  tell  you  I  have  him." 

Carquefou  feared  for  the  reason  of  Magnus.  Suddenly 
the  veteran  stretched  forth  a  crimpled  dirty  piece  of 
paper,  saying: 

"The  child  could  not  read  it,  but  I  have  better  eyes. 
Letter  by  letter  I  spelled  it  out.  I  knew  well  I  would  find 
him." 

Carquefou  distinguished  vaguely  the  name  of  Armand- 
Louis  ;  hope,  an  indefinable  hope,  sprang  up  within  him. 
Magnus  turned  to  their  companion,  who  could  under- 
stand nothing  of  this  scene. 

"Do  you  know  Ravenncst  Castle  in  this  part  of  the 
country?"  Magnus  asked. 

"To  be  sure,  'tis  a  great  devil  of  a  stronghold  in  the 
depth  of  a  wood." 

"And  on  a  mountain?" 

"With  three  big  towers." 


88  THE  KINDNESS  OF  FATE 

"Which  are  called  the  Serpent's  Tower,  the  Crow's 
Tower  and  the  Great  Tower?" 

"Exactly." 

Magnus  embraced  him  brusquely  and  cried : 

"Now,  comrade,  if  thou  hast  really  a  heart  in  thy 
bosom,  thou'lt  be  of  great  aid  to  us.  I  know  the  castle. 
In  what  fortress  or  citadel  of  Germany  have  I  not  placed 
my  heel?  This  one  is  not  the  least  formidable.  I  visited 
it  in  my  youth.  It  is  full  of  cells  and  dungeons,  buried 
in  the  belly  of  the  rock.  The  walls  are  high  and  stout,  the 
moat  deep;  but  M.  de  la  Guerche  and  M.  de  Chaufon- 
taine  are  there  and  we  are  three.  Therefore,  we'll  save 
them." 

Carquefou  ran  to  the  mistress  of  the  house,  took  her 
about  the  waist  and  kissed  her  on  both  cheeks.  Then  he 
danced  down  the  hall  singing  in  a  deafening  voice : 

"To  the  branch  of  an  oak, 
We'll  hang  the  rogue ; 
If  it  does  not  hurt  him, 
It  will  do  us  some  good." 

He  had  improvised  this  couplet  in  honor  of  Mattheus 
and  he  sang  it  in  a  burst  of  gaiety. 

That  very  evening  Magnus,  Carquefou  and  Rudiger 
slept  in  a  cottage,  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  the  moun- 
tain on  which  Ravennest  Castle  could  be  seen.  The 
heart  of  Magnus  tightened  at  the  sight  of  these  black 
walls,  behind  which  Armand-Louis  breathed ;  but  Car- 
quefou, who  had  regained  his  appetite,  ordered  the  most 
juicy  supper  he  had  eaten  since  the  fatal  one  taken  at 
the  hostelry  of  Master  Innocent. 

"There's  nothing  like  a  full  stomach  to  open  up  one's 
ideas,"  he  said. 

Magnus  disclosed  his  plans  of  campaign  to  his  asso- 
ciates. 

"Rudiger,  who  has  been  in  the  service  of  Mattheus," 
he  said,  "should  procure  information  about  the  place.  He 
must  at  any  price  get  the  countersign." 

'^'I'll  get  it." 

"I  know  a  subterranean  passage,  thanks  to  which  one 
may  enter  the  castle,  despite  the  bandits  who  guard  it. 


THE  KINDNESS  OF  FATE  89 

This  passacfc  opens  into  a  valley.  How  many  times  have 
I  not  profited  thereby  to  borrow  from  the  lord  of  the 
castle,  bottles  of  his  best  wine  and  quarters  of  venison, 
which  I  never  returned." 

"That's  in  the  rules,'"  interposed  Rudiger. 

"I  will  soon  rediscover  this  entrance.  What  we  need 
to  know  is,  in  what  corner  Mattheus  has  hidden  the  two 
gentlemen.  Is  it  on  high  under  the  tiles  or  below  in  the 
cellars?  This  is  what  we  must  learn  so  as  not  to  run  in 
with  the  garrison." 

"I'll  find  out,"  replied  Rudiger. 

"Thou  speakcst  curt,  friend,  but  thou  speakest  well." 

"And  what  shall  I  be  doing  meanwhile?"  asked  Car- 
quefon. 

"Thoul't  prowl  about  everywhere,  like  a  fox  seeking  a 
hen.  Thou'lt  contrive  to  open  acquaintance  with  one  ol 
the  inhabitants  of  the  castle  and  thou'lt  gain  his  confi- 
dence. Two  sources  of  information  are  better  than  one. 
Above  all,  never  lose  sight  of  our  horses.  They  will 
shortly  have  to  bear  double  burden.  I  hope." 

"Then  they  must  have  double  rations  now." 

While  Carquefou  went  to  the  stable,  Rudiger  resolute- 
ly took  the  road  to  the  castle,  and  Magnus  busied  himself 
in  the  brushwood  that  covered  the  bosom  of  the  valley. 

After  an  hour's  search  he  reached  an  enormous  rock, 
whose  base  was  lost  in  an  inextricable  thicket  of  briar. 
A  great  juniper  was  growing  in  a  split  in  the  rock. 

"It  should  be  here."  thought  Magnus. 

He  held  back  the  bush  which  covered  the  ground  and 
under  a  hollow,  which  one  could  never  have  dreamt  of,  if 
one  did  not  know,  he  found  a  low  opening  veiled  with 
long  grass. 

He  stooped  and  disappeared  herein.  Thence  he  found 
himself  in  a  narrow  hall,  which  descended  as  it  crept 
along  the  interior  of  the  mountain.  Magnus  lighted  a 
lantern  with  which  he  had  provided  himself  and  ad- 
vanced slowly.  After  some  himdred  steps,  he  reached 
what  seemed  to  be  an  impenetrable  wall.  He  examined 
it  carefully,  shedding  the  light  on  the  d.iiik  sides  of  the 
rock  and  at  last  found  a  nail,  the  head  of  which  was  stick- 
ing out  of  the  wall.     He  took  hold  of  it  firmly  and  a 


90  THE  KINDNEvSS  OF  FATE 

layer  of  the  wall,  shaking  lightly,  turned  outward.  A 
wave  of  air  struck  his  face  and  in  the  glare  of  his  lan- 
tern, which  he  held  above  his  head,  he  beheld  an  immense 
dark  cave,  in  which  were  buried  the  foundations  of  one 
of  the  towers.  Tuns  and  small  barrels  were  ranged  along 
the  wall.  The  first  contained  wine  or  beer,  the  others 
powder. 

"This  is  the  right  place,"  murmured  Magnus. 

He  retreated  from  the  cave,  shoved  back  the  large 
stone  into  its  socket,  groped  along  the  gloomy  corridor 
and  regained  the  secret  entrance,  where  the  blaze  of  the 
sun's  light  blinded  him. 

"If  I  had  not  been  a  marauder,"  he  thought,  "I  should 
never  have  discovered  that  place." 

Then  he  returned  to  the  cottage,  where  Carquefou  was 
lavishing  fodder  on  the  horses.  He  found  Rudiger  rub- 
bing his  hands  joyously. 

"Lord  Mattheus  has  the  charming  gift  of  offending 
those  who  serve  him,"  he  said.  "He  maltreats  and  pays 
his  people  ill.  That's  too  much.  As  a  consequence  one 
of  the  men  gave  me  the  countersign." 

"Which  is—" 

"Agnus  Dei  and  Wallenstein." 

"The  scoundrel !  He  mixes  religion  and  politics.  But 
patience,  perhaps  he  will  not  indulge  these  fancies  much 
longer." 

"Furthermore,  some  of  my  former  good  comrades 
whom  I  met  up  there,  received  me  well.  I  may  come 
and  go  as  I  please." 

"  'Tis  well  at  times  to  frequent  bad  company,"  Carque- 
fou observed  philosophically. 

"But  where  are  the  prisoners  kept?"  asked  Magnus. 

"One  of  them  was  taken  to-day  to  the  dungeon  of  the 
Serpent's  Tower,  which  is  called  the  Red  Room.  He  is 
tall,  slender  and  fair." 

"  'Tis  the  Count  of  La  Guerche." 

"Maybe.  The  other,  a  dark  complexioned  man,  has 
been  transferred  to  a  part  of  the  castle  which  no  one 
could  tell  me." 

"  'Sdeath,"  cried  Carquefou,  "here's  a  poniard  which 


THE  KIND?,  ESS  OF  FATE  9I 

will  make  Matthcus  speak,  though  he  were  mute  as  a 
tomb  and  deaf  as  the  wind." 

"Thus,  thou  are  not  willing  to  wait?"  said  Magnus, 
touching  Carquefou  on  the  shoulder. 

"Wait!  They  are  living!  Who  knows  whether  an 
hour's  respite  may  not  allow  this  wretch  time  to  conceive 
wicked  thoughts.  No,  no ;  our  masters  are  up  there.  To 
work,  then  !" 

"To  work,  then !"  echoed  Magnus. 


92  MATTHEUS  DRINKS  HIS  OWN  MEDICINE) 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MATTHEUS  DRINKS  HIS  OWN  MEDIICNE. 

It  was  the  same  day  on  which  Matthcus  had  questioned 
Renaud.  The  prisoners  had  been  put  into  their  new 
quarters,  the  one  in  the  Green  Room,  the  other  in  the 
Red  Room.  A  stairway,  carved  in  the  rock,  allowed 
communication  between  the  former  and  the  apartments 
occupied  by  Mattheus  himself. 

Mattheus  had  just  supped  delicately  in  the  company  of 
the  physician  attached  to  the  castle.  Enlivened  by  the 
conversation  of  this  learned  man  and  also  by  abundant 
libations  he  resolved  to  visit  his  victim. 

"I  am  responsible  for  him,"-  he  said  sweetly,  "and  I 
would  not  have  his  health  endangered." 

The  physician  staggered  after  Mattheus.  The  two 
found  Renaud  lying  on  the  ground,  munching  his  crust 
of  bread. 

At  the  sight  of  Mattheus  Renaud  winked  and  said : 

"Ha,  ha !  There,  a  ray  of  light  is  making  your  nose 
enormously  long.     The  polecats  will  be  envious  of  you." 

Meanwhile  the  doctor  out  of  habit  felt  the  prisoner's 
pulse. 

"Don't  you  think  that  the  dampness  of  the  ground." 
said  Mattheus,  "may  have  an  unhealthy  effect  on  the 
nerves  of  the  marquis?" 

"To  be  sure,"  replied  the  doctor. 

Mattheus  made  a  sign.  Two  servants  passed  a  rope 
under  the  armpits  of  Renaud,  tied  his  hands  behind  his 
back  and  hoisted  him  a  few  feet  from  the  ground. 

"See  whether  the  ring  is  solid,"  added  Mattheus.  "We 
must  not  expose  the  marquis  to  a  fall  that  could  injure 
him." 

This  was  a  new  torture  in  addition  to  those  Renaud 
had  already  undergone.  The  ropes  were  fastened  in  a 
knot. 


MATTHEUS  DRINKS  HIS  OWN  MEDICINE  93 

"Good  night,  marquis,"  said  Mattheus,  saluting  him 
ironically.     "Till  to-morrow." 

"Till  to-morrow,"  Renaud  cried  after  him.  "and  see, 
my  pretty  lord,  that  you  do  not  bite  your  ears  while 
sleeping.     Your  mouth  has  a  spite  against  them." 

At  the  same  hour  and  while  Mattheus  was  returning  to 
his  apartment.  Magnus  was  leading  Carquofou  and  Rudi- 
ger  to  the  great  rock  under  which  opened  the  subterra- 
nean passage. 

He  had  brought  with  him  cowls,  ropes  and  gags.  They 
all  wore  buff  cloaks,  adorned  with  steel  blades,  which 
rendered  all  arms  hurtless.  Carqucfou  and  Magnus, 
muffled  in  false  beards,  were  unrecognizable ;  each  bore 
in  addition  to  his  sword,  a  dirk  and  a  poniard,  the  one 
with  a  long  blade,  the  other  thin  and  short,  and  a  pair  of 
pistols  well  charged  and  primed. 

At  the  end  of  the  vaulted  passage  Magnus  pressed  the 
nail  which  stuck  out  of  the  wall.  The  stone  turned  and 
they  entered  the  subway,  in  the  centre  of  which  stood 
the  foot  of  the  Serpent's  Tower,  a  heavy,  round  mass. 

"He  is  there,"  said  Rudiger. 

Magnus,  without  replying,  walked  around  the  founda- 
tion of  the  tower,  examined  the  stones  with  his  hand  and 
his  eyes  and  noticed  one  of  a  peculiar  shape.  He  thrust 
his  poniard  in  the  interstice  between  this  one  and  the 
next,  thus  making  an  invisible  spring  work.  Carquefou 
and  Rudiger,  holding  their  breath,  were  watching  his 
every  movement  with  anxiety.  A  low  door  opened  slow- 
ly and  noiselessly  before  them.  It  was  made  of  one  block 
and  was  hung  on  iron  hinges.  Magnus  passed  through 
first  and  projected  the  f^ame  of  his  lamp  into  the  dun- 
geon. 

A  livid  shadow  stirred  in  the  obscure  depths  of  the 
cavern. 

"Oh  God  !  My  master!"  cried  Magnus,  who  had  recog- 
nized Armand-Louis  almost  before  seeing  him. 

With  a  trembling  hand  he  cut  the  cords  whicli  bound 
him  to  his  bed  of  straw. 

"Mattheus  did  this,"  he  said,  his  face  scarkt  with  rage, 
"and  he  did  it  knowing  that  I  lived." 


94  MATTHEUS  DRINKS  HIS  OWN  MEDICINE 

"Ah,  I  had  given  up  hope,"  said  Armand-Louis,  when 
he  stood  up  free. 

Magnus  kissed  his  hand  and  wept  to  see  him  so  pale 
and  thin. 

"Without  doubt,"  said  Carquefou,  wiping  his  eyes, 
the  robber  has  not  treated  Renaud  de  Chaufontaine  any 
better." 

"Is  he  also  free?"  asked  Armand-Louis. 

"Not  yet." 

"Let  us  seek  him,  then.  I'll  not  leave  this  hole  till 
we  find  him." 

The  Count  of  La  Guerche  hastily  swallowed  two  or 
three  gulps  of  a  cordial  which  Carquefou  had  had  the 
foresight  to  bring  with  him  in  a  gourd.  Then  he  left  the 
tower. 

"But  you  are  staggering,"  cried  Magnus. 

"Ah,  the  thoughts  of  delivering  my  brother  at  arms 
will  restore  my  strength,"  said  Armand-Louis. 

They  covered  him  with  a  cowl,  armed  him  with  a  poni- 
ard and  a  pair  of  pistols.  Then  all  four  ascended  the 
stairs  like  snails,  which  led  to  the  ground  floor  of  the 
castle.  They  soon  found  themselves  in  a  gallery  dimly 
lighted  by  a  lantern  suspended  from  the  ceiling.  A  man 
was  on  guard  in  one  corner. 

At  the  sight  of  the  little  troop  he  took  a  step  forward. 

Rudiger  ran  up  to  him  and  placing  his  finger  on  his 
lips  he  said : 

"Agnus  Dei !" 

"And  Wallenstein !"  replied  the  sentinel. 

Magnus  nudged  him  and  leaning  to  his  ear  added : 

"Officers  of  the  Imperial  army  sent  by  Count  Tilly, 
Sir !  I  received  them  and  I  am  taking  them  to  Lord 
Mattheus.     Something  great  is  impending." 

The  sentinel  smiled  with  a  satisfied  air  and  the  troop 
passed  on. 

Another  soldier  stood  at  the  very  door  of  the  apart- 
ment occupied  by  Mattheus. 

"Agnus  Dei !"  he  said,  advancing  toward  Rudiger,  his 
hand  upon  his  pistol. 

"And  Wallenstein !"  replied  Rudiger ;  then  lowerinjy 
his  voice  :    "Silence !    John  of  Werth  is  here.    He  conies 


MATTHUES  DRINKS  IIIS  OWN  MEDICINE  95 

from  the  cnnip.  Whether  Lord  Mattheus  be  asleep  or 
not  he  wishes  to  see  him." 

The  man  with  the  pistol  opened  the  door. 

In  an  instant  Armand-Louis  and  his  companions  were 
in  an  immense  room,  one  of  whose  corners  was  occupied 
by  a  great  canopied  bed.  A  two-branched  candlebra 
burned  on  the  table. 

Magnus  tore  wide  the  curtains  of  the  bed. 

Mattheus  Orlscopp  opened  his  eyes  and  beheld  the 
mouths  of  four  pistols  gaping  at  his  breast.  Over  the 
eyes  of  the  four  men  cowls  were  drawn. 

"Not  a  word,"  said  one  of  them.  "A  cry  or  a  sigh  and 
thou  art  dead !" 

Mattheus  remained  still.  The  thought  of  a  mutiny 
crossed  his  mind. 

"Do  you  want  gold?    Speak!"  he  said. 

"What  hast  thou  done  with  Renaud?"  asked  Armand- 
Louis,  throwing  back  his  cowl. 

An  icy  sweat  overspread  the  visage  of  Mattheus;  yet 
the  cautious  air  of  his  foes  convinced  him  that  the  castle 
was  still  his.  If  he  could  but  gain  some  time  perhaps  he 
might  have  the  last  word  in  this  argument. 

"You  demand  the  marquis?"  he  said.  "Let  them  who 
liberated  you  find  where  he  is." 

He  had  raised  his  voice  and  made  a  movement  to  leap 
from  the  bed.  The  point  of  a  sword  touched  his  naked 
breast. 

"Have  a  care,"  said  Magnus.  "We  have  small  patience 
and  thou  art  in  our  power." 

Mattheus  crossed  his  arms  and  hatred  surmounting  his 
courage,  he  said  : 

"Strike,  then!  If  I  die,  the  Marquis  of  Chaufontaine 
dies  also." 

The  four  companions  consulted  one  another  with  a 
glance.  Each  minute  dragged  by  like  a  century.  They 
could  hear  the  heavy  and  cadenccd  tread  of  the  patrol 
passing  in  the  gallery. 

"Ah.  my  maskers,"  said  Mattheus,  smiling,  "you  think 
you  can  enter  a  lion's  lair  anrl  go  out  of  it  alive." 

"If  he  has  any  heart,  we  are  lost,"  murnuired  Magnus. 


96  MATTHEUS  DRINKS  HIS  OWN  MEDICINE 

"Then  thou  refuses!?"  asked  Carquefou,  shaking  the 
governor  of  the  castle  in  his  bed. 

"I  do.    One  can  die  only  once." 

With  one  hand  Carquefou  seized  the  sword  which  Mat- 
theus  had  laid  on  a  chair  beside  his  bed  before  going  to 
sleep,  with  the  other  he  began  calmly  to  indent  its  blade 
with  that  of  his  poniard. 

"To  die  is  nothing,"  he  said.  "To  suffer  is  every- 
thing. A  ball  or  a  sword-thrust  in  the  heart — bah — 'tis 
too  gentle  for  thee.  I'll  make  a  saw  and  with  my  saw 
I'll  cut  thy  wretched  body  in  two." 

Mattheus  turned  livid. 

"Magnus,  gag  the  man,"  said  Carquefou,  who  after 
indenting  the  sword,  tried  its  teeth  on  the  table. 

Armand-Louis  approached  Mattheus,  who  was  pinned 
to  the  bed  by  the  stout  arm  of  Magnus. 

"Listen,"  he  said,  "if  thou  wilt  lead  us  to  Renaud  of 
Chaufontaine,  thou'lt  have  life  and  liberty.  I  give  thee 
my  word." 

"And  if  thou  refuse,"  added  Carquefou,  "I  swear  by 
the  thousand  horns  of  the  devil  that  the  teeth  of  this 
sword  will  drink  in  the  last  drop  of  blood  in  thy  veins." 

"Now,  thou  hast  a  minute  to  decide,"  said  Magnus. 

Meanwhile  Rudiger,  pistol  in  hand,  kept  guard  at  the 
door. 

Mattheus  regarded  in  turn  each  of  the  actors  in  this 
scene.  Each  was  merciless.  Carquefou  rested  the 
notched  sword  blade  on  the  damp  thighs  of  Mattheus, 
whose  every  fibre  quivered.  Carquefou  made  a  move- 
ment and  the  sharp  teeth  of  the  saw  tore  the  skin. 

"Oh,"  moaned  Mattheus,  his  eyes  starting  from  his 
sockets,  "I  yield.  The  passage  is  there;  I'll  guide  you," 
and  his  teeth  chattered  as  he  spoke. 

Carquefou  raised  the  saw. 

Mattheus,  held  at  each  arm  by  Magnus  and  Rudiger, 
went  into  a  room  and  descended  a  stairway,  at  the  foot 
of  which  they  saw  an  iron  door. 

"He  is  in  there,"  said  Mattheus. 

"Ah,  bandit,  under  thy  hand !"  murmured  Carquefou. 
"Give  us  the  key !" 

When  the  door  was  opened  they  saw  Renaud.    He  was 


MATTIIEUS  DRINKS  HIS  OWN  MHDICINK  97 

hang"ing  from  a  hook,  fully  three  feet  from  the  floor.    His 
head  had  fallen  on  his  chest  and  he  seemed  to  be  dead. 

"Oh,  thou  miscreant!"  cried  Carquefou,  who  with  a 
bound,  caught  the  body  of  his  master,  cut  the  ropes,  laid 
him  on  the  ground  and  untied  his  bonds. 

Renaud  sighed.  Carquefou  forced  the  neck  of  his 
gourd  between  his  master's  lips.  The  prisoner  drank 
deeply  ;  then  opened  his  eyes.  At  the  sight  of  Armand- 
Louis  he  stood  up  and  pointing  to  Mattheus,  without 
waiting  to  understand  the  situation,  he  said  : 

"See,  there's  the  ugliest  man  I  know.  'Tis  beyond  all 
credence." 

But  Carquefou  had  already  seized  Mattheus,  and  be- 
fore any  of  them  could  oppose  him  he  had  suspended  him 
in  the  same  place  from  which  he  had  just  taken  his 
master. 

"  'Tis  thy  turn  for  the  ring."  he  said,  "and  thank  God 
that  the  Count  of  La  Guerche  has  pledged  his  u^ord  to 
thee,  or  I  swear  my  sword  should  have  put  thee  into 
eternal  sleep  on  that  pack  of  straw." 

"Listen,"  continued  Renaud,  "I  know  the  ways  of  the 
house.  To-morrow  at  noon  they  fetch  thee  a  handful  of 
lentils,  swimming  in  a  little  water.  The  doctor,  thy 
friend,  will  prove  to  thee  that  thou  hast  not  slept  ill  and 
you  can  breakfast  together.  Now  forget  not  this  one 
thing,  my  dear  lord.  I  have  the  sweet  hope  of  meeting 
thee  again.  But  on  that  day  thou  shalt  be  hanged  so  well 
and  tastefully,  not  by  the  armpits  but  by  the  neck,  that 
thy  last  grimace  shall  frighten  the  world." 

Mattheus  was  hanging  bound  and  gagged.  ^Magnus 
closed  the  door  and  the  men  retired  to  the  room  they 
had  just  left.  On  their  way.  Carquefou,  who  had  an  eye 
for  everything,  rammed  into  his  pockets  a  long,  fat  purse 
which  he  found  on  the  table. 

"  'Tis  an  orphan,"  said  he,  "let's  ofTer  it  an  asylum." 

Renaud  cnst  a  glance  of  question  upon  him. 

"Marcjuis,"  he  continued,  "one  must  leave  no  muni- 
tions of  war  to  the  enemy.  The  rules  of  the  commonest 
prudence  command  this." 

While  he  was  speaking  he  enveloped  his  master  in  a 
garment  that  Mattheus  had  worn. 


98  MATTHEUS  DRINKS  HIS  OWN  MEDICINE 

"What  a  cruel  fate,"  he  commented,  "to  hide  one's  self 
in  the  skin  of  a  wolf." 

Renaud  turned  suddenly  pale  and  staggered.  At  this 
instant  a  patrol  passed  in  the  gallery  and  some  one 
knocked  at  the  door. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Magnus  in  a  muffled  voice. 

"The  doctor  wishes  to  ask  your  lordship  whether  it  be 
not  opportune  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  prisoner,"  answered 
the  man  who  had  knocked.  "He  may  die  in  the  night 
and  that  would  be  a  pity." 

"The  prisoner  has  a  tough  life,"  returned  Carquefou. 
who  was  supporting  Renaud.  "I  know  him.  To-mor- 
row he'll  be  fresh  and  lively  as  an  eel." 

While  these  words  were  passing  the  five  companions 
made  ready  their  arms  in  utter  silence. 

The  step  of  the  patrol  moved  away  in  the  distance  and 
the  voice  was  hushed. 

"I  thought  the  hour  to  conquer  or  die  here  had  come," 
murmured  Magnus,  breathing  again. 

"Be  of  good  heart  now,  marquis,"  said  Carquefou,  "if 
we  do  not  wish  to  be  caught  in  this  hall  like  gudgeons 
in  a  net  let's  make  haste  to  get  out." 

"I've  sufTered  so  much,"  said  Renaud,  making  a  des- 
perate effort.  "But,  be  assured,  when  the  soul  com- 
mands, the  body  must  obey." 

Then  with  a  slow  but  firm  tread  he  walked  toward  the 
door. 

Magnus  opened  it  resolutely ;  the  sentinel  who  had  not 
moved,  stared  at  them. 

"Not  a  word !"  Magnus  whispered  in  his  ear. 

Rudiger,  who  followed,  half  uncovered  himself. 

"John  of  Werth  is  here  with  Lord  Mattheus,"  he 
added.  "  Tis  business  of  the  state.  Say  nothing  to  thy 
comrades  of  what  thou  hast  seen." 

The  sentinel  drew  up  respectfully  against  the  wall  and 
gave  the  military  salute. 

The  troop  attained  the  end  of  the  gallery,  descended 
the  staircase  and  soon  found  itself  in  the  subway  of  the 
castle.  A  draught  of  fresh  air  caressed  their  cheeks.  The 
secret  door  in  the  foundation  of  the  tower  yawned  before 
them.    They  passed  through   one   after   the  other,  Car- 


MATTHKUS  DRINKS  HIS  OWN  MRDICIXE  99 

quefou  first.  Mag^nus  last.  The  stone  block  fell  hack  in 
its  mute  frame  and  within  a  few  moments  the  fugitives 
reached  the  entry  of  the  long  passage,  which  they  had 
traversed  two  hours  before.  When  they  had  brushed 
aside  the  shrubs  and  reeds  which  masked  the  narrow 
vault,  they  saw  a  myriad  of  stars  shining  in  the  heavens. 
Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  fell  upon  their  knees. 

"Free!"  they  murmured  in  one  voice. 

Behind  them,  Magnus,  Rudiger  and  Carquefou  were 
embracing  each  other. 


THE  BATTLE 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  BATTLE. 

Yet  the  merest  accident  might  arouse  the  garrison. 
They  had  no  time  to  lose  if  they  would  put  a  broad  space 
between  them  and  Ravennest  Castle.  The  horses,  tied 
in  a  lonely  corner  of  the  gorge,  were  ready  for  them. 
Rudiger  charged  himself  to  reconnoitre  the  road ;  Mag- 
nus and  Carquefou  took  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  on 
their  horses  and  set  out  on  a  gallop. 

At  the  first  halt,  Carquefou  rode  into  a  neighboring 
village  and  returned  with  two  fresh  horses  for  his  mas- 
ters. On  the  saddle  bows  of  each  were  pistols  and  a 
sword. 

"I  think  there  must  have  been  a  fight  in  the  neighbor- 
hood," he  said,  "I  got  the  beasts  and  the  arms  for  twenty 
pistoles." 

A  few  hours'  sleep  after  some  cold  mutton  and  good 
old  wine  restored  to  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  a  part 
of  the  forces  they  had  lost.  The  latter  unsheathed  his 
sword  and  tried  its  mettle. 

"Sharp,  supple  and  easy  to  handle,"  he  commented.  "I 
fancy  St.  Estocade  will  soon  afford  me  an  opportunity  to 
prove  its  temper." 

One  thing  bothered  Carquefou.  He  could  not  refrain 
from  confiding  it  to  Magnus. 

"There  were  black  passages  in  that  hole,"  he  said,  "in 
which  the  devil  himself  never  set  fot :  moving  stones  and 
secret  doors  no  sorcerer  could  discover.  By  what  chance 
didst  thou  learn  of  them?" 

"Friend  Carquefou,  Magnus  was  young  once,  though 
a  long  time  ago,"  answered  the  veteran.  "At  that  time  I 
was  equerry  to  a  baron  who  hunted  on  the  domain  of  the 
castillon  of  Ravennest.  When  the  latter  was  on  the  hunt 
or  traveling,  the  baron  paid  visits  to  the  castle.     The 


THK  BATTLE  loi 

Lady  of  Ravcnnest  had  a  fresh  and  pretty  maid.  Poor 
Catinka!  What  has  become  of  her?  Whither  tlie  baron 
went,  thither  went  tlie  equerry  in  his  turn.  Dost  under- 
stand now?" 

"I  do." 

They  ran  until  evening  without  unbridling'. 

The  action  and  fresh  air  invigorated  from  hour  to  hour 
the  muscles  of  the  gentlemen  with  the  force  and  elasticity 
to  which  they  had  been  so  long  accustomed. 

When  night  began  to  fall  they  were  at  least  fifteen 
leagues  from  Mattheus.  The  direction  they  followed  led 
them  near  the  provinces  where  the  weight  of 
Swedish  arms  was  felt.  They  had  now  very  little  to  fear 
from  the  master  of  Ravcnnest. 

"Perhaps  'twere  as  well,"  suggested  Armand-Louis, 
"to  find  out  what  has  become  of  King  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus." 

On  their  way  they  had  passed  cottages  in  ruins,  ham- 
lets in  ashes.  Here  and  there  harvests  were  trodden 
down  by  the  march  of  cavalry,  trees  hewn  to  the  ground, 
orchards  destroyed,  bits  of  land  freshly  turned,  in  ditches 
lay  the  half  decomposed  bodies  of  horses.  It  was  clear 
that  many  troops  of  warriors  had  fought  in  this  territory. 
They  must  take  care  not  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
Imperialists.  The  Croatian  s(|uadrons  had  at  times  a  very 
expedite  method  of  ridding  themselves  of  their  prisoners. 

The  peasants  and  innkeepers  whom  Carquefou  and 
Magnus  questioned  told  them  that  indeed  many  battles 
had  been  fought  in  the  vicinity.  Everywhere  the  Swedes 
had  conquered,  but  real  war  had  scarcely  commenced. 
Since  the  sacking  of  Magdebourg  the  two  belligerent 
armies  had  been  manoeuvring  to  meet.  Count  Tilly  was 
no  less  urgent  to  ofTcr  battle  to  the  King  of  Sweden  than 
Gustavus  Adolphus  was  desirous  to  accept.  Yet  as  their 
desires  were  the  same,  so  was  their  prudence.  Neither  of 
the  generals  wished  to  leave  anything  to  chance.  The 
one  had  an  old  reputation  to  sustain  and  did  not  wish  to 
expose  an  army,  which  till  now  had  known  naught  but 
victories,  to  the  shame  of  a  defeat.  The  other,  heralded 
by  a  fame  already  glorious,  surrounded  himsrlf  with  pre- 
cautions before  measuring  himself  with  the  most  experi- 


I02  THE  BATTLE 

enced  commander  in  Europe,  They  both  felt  that  perhaps 
on  their  first  battle  hinged  the  issue  of  the  war  and  by  a 
counter-stroke  the  fate  of  Germany.  Meanwhile  their 
flags  approached  each  other  day  by  day.  The  circle  in 
which  they  moved  grew  narrower.  Skirmishes  became 
more  frequent.  Everything  presaged  an  impending 
shock  in  some  corner  of  the  province. 

"Let's  not  miss  the  ball !"  said  Renaud  enthusiastically. 

Thanks  to  the  information  they  secured  from  the  sol- 
diers and  deserters  they  met  continually ;  they  learned 
almost  precisely  toward  what  point  they  must  ride  to 
avoid  the  Imperialists  and  meet  the  Swedes.  It  was  not 
an  easy  matter,  in  the  midst  of  bands  of  Hungarians  and 
Croatians  who  were  ravaging  the  land,  and  whose  ca- 
prices, or  the  thought  of  a  richer  booty  here  or  there, 
drove  them  like  a  blast  of  wind  drives  a  cloud  of  locusts. 

They  heard  no  more  of  Mattheus  Orlscopp,  and  Car- 
quefou,  enlivened  by  travel,  repeated  his  famous  song : 

"To  the  limb  of  an  oak, 
We'll  hang  the  rogue." 

One  morning  the  light  breeze,  which  follows  the  birth 
of  day,  bore  to  their  ears  the  echo  of  a  formidable  noise 
booming  in  the  distance. 

"Cannon !"  said  Renaud. 

They  all  stopped.  It  was  really  cannon  and  they  heaid 
its  incessant  thundering  from  afar. 

Carquefou  pointed  out  great  clouds  of  white  smok^ 
which  veiled  one  side  of  the  horizon. 

"Over  there,"  he  said. 

Magnus  pressed  his  ear  to  the  ground,  which  trem- 
bled. 

"That's  no  skirmish,"  he  said,  "nor  yet  a  combat.  'Tis 
a  battle." 

A  gleam  of  joy  flashed  in  the  eyes  of  Armand-Louis 
and  of  Renaud.  The  latter  was  already  fondling  his 
sword,  which  he  drew  from  its  scabbard  little  by  little. 

"The  road  is  free,"  said  Magnus  turning  to  Rudiger, 
"thou  hast  been  brave  and  loyal.  If  thou  come  with  us 
this  hand  which  has  clasped  thine  will  never  forsake  thee. 
If  thou  goest  elsewhere,  good  luck !    But  thou  went  with 


THE  BATTLE  103 

the  Imperialists  and  I  warn  thee  that  we  cry,  'Long  live 
Gustavus  Adolphus !'  " 

"I  am  a  Pole.  Where  there's  fighting,  I  fight.  For- 
ward, I  am  yours,"  replied  the  reiter,  who  with  a  feverish 
hand  gathered  the  reins  of  his  horse. 

The  roar  of  the  cannon  continued. 

"To  the  cannon !"  cried  Rcnaud. 

The  five  cavaliers  shot  forward  like  a  thunderbolt. 

As  they  were  turning  the  brow  of  a  hill,  over  which 
they  were  galloping,  such  a  magnificent  spectacle  struck 
their  sight  that  of  one  accord  they  reined  up  their  horses. 

"By  St.  Estocade,  my  patroness,"  exclaimed  Renaud, 
"but  that  is  beautiful !" 

In  the  plain  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  the  two  armies  were 
met.  The  regiments  were  clashing  together.  The  artil- 
leries were  thundering.  From  the  colors  of  the  stand- 
ards the  spectators  discovered  that  the  Imperialists  oc- 
cupied the  fiank  of  the  eminence  and  that  the  Swedes 
had  taken  the  offensive.  A  man,  wearing  a  doublet  of 
green  satin  under  a  cuirass  of  steel,  and  bearing  a  scarlet 
plume  on  his  brow,  which  was  lashed  by  the  wind,  sat  on 
his  horse  on  the  summit  of  a  hillock.  Groups  of  officers 
surrounded  him. 

"Count  Tilly,"  said  Magnus. 

From  time  to  time  Count  Tilly  made  a  sign  of  his  hand 
and  an  aide-de-camp  would  set  out  at  breakneck  speed. 
Then  the  commander  would  observe  anew  the  waves  of 
battle. 

The  Imperialists  had  the  advantage  of  position;  the 
Swedes  and  their  Saxon  allies  the  superiority  of  attack. 
The  fire  of  the  artillery,  stationed  at  one  side,  did  not 
balk  them,  and  such  was  the  fury  of  their  onslaught  that 
at  eacli  offensive  return  new  regiments  were  obliged  to 
descend  the  hill  to  meet  them. 

Yet  one  of  their  wings  had  just  wavered.  The  con- 
fusion of  the  ranks  was  visible  ;  the  ground  was  heaped 
with  corpses.  Fugitives  without  number  ran  in  rout,  and 
in  the  distance  a  squadron  was  pillaging  an  encampment. 
Great  joyous  cries  arose  from  the  Imperialists. 

"The  Saxons  are  routed,"  said  Magnus. 

But  in  the  thick  of  the  battle  a  picked  body  had  now 


I04  THE  BATTLE 

launched  forward  with  such  intrepidity,  that  overturning 
all  in  its  path,  it  succeeded  in  climbing  the  first  rows  of 
the  escarpment.  Tlie  Imperial  army  retreated  in  dis- 
order. 

"The  blue  regiment !  The  yellow  regiment !  'Tis  the 
king!"  roared  Magnus. 

Count  Tilly  made  a  sign.  An  of^cer  set  out  on  a  gallop 
and  flung  himself  ahead,  straining  every  nerve  of  his 
horse.  At  the  same  moment  a  body  of  cavalry,  which 
had  been  concealed  behind  a  slope,  came  in  view  and  de- 
scended to  meet  the  Swedes.  The  sun  shone  on  their 
shields,  a  clatter  of  steel  accompanied  their  charge ;  men 
and  horses  passed  like  a  torrent  of  fire. 

"The  cuirassiers  of  Pappenheim !"  said  Magnus. 

A  moment  later  Imperialists  and  Swedes  were  lost  in 
clouds  of  smoke. 

Not  far  from  the  stirless  spectators  of  this  bloody 
drama,  the  Austrian  artillery  rained  a  hail  of  shot  on  the 
decimated  regiments  of  the  king.  Yet  around  this  artil- 
lery neither  reiters,  lansquenets,  cuirassiers,  dragoons  nor 
musketeers  were  now  to  be  seen. 

"Forward !"  cried  Armand-Louis,  whose  visage  had 
suddenly  become  illuminated. 

This  cry  awoke  Renaud  from  his  silence  and  his  ad- 
miration. 

"Yes,  forward !"  he  repeated  as  he  spurred  his  horse 
in  pursuit  of  Armand-Louis,  who  was  riding  down  the 
hill. 

In  their  wake  Magnus,  Rudiger  and  Carquefou  fol- 
lowed across  the  circle  of  fire  where  the  cuirassiers  of 
Pappenheim  and  the  regiment  of  the  king  had  just  struck. 

In  the  thickest  of  the  strife  they  saw  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus.  A  more  terrible  dash  bore  them  close  to  him. 
Balls  and  bullets  dug  holes  in  the  battalions.  The  con- 
fusion of  men  and  horses  was  horrible.  The  cuirassiers 
of  Pappenheim,  like  a  wall  of  iron,  barred  the  way  of  the 
Swedes,  who  were  broken  by  their  successive  charges. 

Before  the  reserves,  called  for  by  Gustavus  Adolphus, 
could  even  arrive  on  the  field  of  carnage,  they  were  cut 
down  by  the  torrent  of  projectiles  which  the  Imperial 
batteries  vomited  forth  incessantly. 


THE    BATTLE  105 

The  king,  who  redoubled  his  efforts  and  bore  himself 
into  the  most  perilous  passes,  felt  that  victory  was  escap- 
ing from  him.  Corpses  heaped  up  about  him.  When 
he  charged,  the  ranks  opened  as  a  wall  falls  before  the  bat- 
tering ram.  Once  he  had  passed  the  ranks  closed  and 
the  struggle  remained  violent  and  uncertain. 

"Oh,  the  cursed  cannon,"  cried  the  king.  "If  they  do 
not  stop  they'll  cost  me  honor  and  life." 

Then  he  spurred  his  horse  in  the  direction  of  the  bat- 
teries. Suddenly  Armand-Louis,  covered  with  blood,  ap- 
peared at  his  side. 

"Sire,"  he  said,  "give  me  five  hundred  cavaliers  and 
the  cannons  are  ours." 

The  Duke  of  Lauenbourg,  who  was  near  Gustavus 
Adolphus,  trembled. 

"What  madness!"  he  cried,  "while  we  have  still  the 
chance,  let  us  retreat.     It's  impossible  to  climb  up  there." 

"Sire,  five  hundred  men  and  I  will  answer  for  all,"  re- 
peated Armand-Louis.  "But  the  seconds  are  counted. 
Make  haste." 

Gustavus  Adolphus  called  Arnold  of  Brahe,  who  had 
just  plunged  his  sword  into  the  throat  of  a  cuirassier, 

"Let  the  orders  of  the  Count  of  La  Gucrche  be  obeyed 
as  my  own.     Go  !''  said  the  king. 

"Sire,  I  thank  you.  Hold  the  place  only  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  and  you  will  have  news  of  me,"  cried  the  Count 
of  La  Guerche.  spurring  his  horse  out  of  the  confusion. 

"Hold  it !"  said  the  king ;  "I'll  die  here  before  I  retreat." 

The  Count  of  La  Gucrche  had  soon  collected  some 
liundreds  of  cavaliers,  when  one  captain  hesitated  to  fol- 
low him. 

"By  order  of  the  king!"  said  Arnold  and  they  ranged 
themselves  behind  him.  The  Huguenot  squadron  was 
battling  terrifically  not  far  from  here. 

"Zounds !"  said  Renaud,  "there  are  our  compatriots. 
I'll  fetch  them  to  thee!" 

He  shot  out  like  an  arrow  and  gained  the  Huguenots 
by  rough  riding  over  all  in  his  course.  The  clamor 
which  arose  as  they  caught  sight  of  him  showed  that  the 
soldiers  of  La  Rochelle  recognized  him. 


io6  THE  BATTLE 

"Here  are  our  friends,"  said  Renaud,  reappearing  at 
the  head  of  the  Huguenots. 

When  they  saw  Armand-Louis  the  dragoons  let  forth 
a  thousand  huzzas. 

"To  battle,  gentlemen,"  said  Armand-Louis,  placing 
them  in  the  first  ranks. 

He  had  now  almost  the  number  of  men  he  desired. 
He  skirted  the  lines  of  the  Swedish  army,  then  turned 
them  and  discovering  a  free  issue,  he  pointed  with  his 
sword  towards  the  Imperial  artillery  crowned  with  fire. 

"Now  to  the  batteries !"  he  thundered. 

"To  the  batteries !"  repeated  Renaud  and  Magnus. 

"If  we  ever  return,  'twill  be  a  miracle,"  murmured  Car- 
quefou,  lowering  his  head  and  plunging  forward. 

The  Huguenots  and  the  Swedes  came  down  upon  the 
cannons  with  the  velocity  of  an  avalanche.  Some  in- 
fantry mixed  up  with  artillerymen  endeavored  to  oppose 
them,  but  they  were  sabred  across  the  guns  and  every 
battery  fell  in  an  instant  into  the  power  of  the  assailants. 
Then  a  body  of  cavaliers,  imitating  the  example  of  Ar- 
mand-Louis and  Arnold,  alighted  and  turned  the  cannon 
on  the  Imperial  army.  In  an  instant  Magnus,  Carque- 
fou,  Rudiger  and  twenty  others  charged  the  pieces. 

"Fire !"  commanded  Armand-Louis. 

A  roar  of  thunder  answered  him  and  forty  balls  bore 
death  into  the  ranks  of  the  Austrians.  Some  of  the  men 
fell  lifeless  around  Count  Tilly.  He  turned  in  amaze- 
ment and  looked  behind  him.  At  the  sight  of  the  Swed- 
ish uniform  he  paled  and  said : 

"Ah,  we  are  conquered  !" 

The  king  also  had  just  recognized  the  colors  of  the  La 
Guerche  Dragoons  planted  on  the  batteries.  Before  him 
whole  lines  of  cuirassiers  fell  like  ripe  corn  before  the 
scythe.  His  band,  gathered  at  the  sign  of  his  sword,  fol- 
lowed him  for  a  supreme  onslaught.  The  cavalry  of  Pap- 
penheim  wavered. 

But  they  had  to  do  with  two  men  who  did  not  yield 
easily.  They  redoubled  their  efforts,  and  rallying  the 
ruins  of  their  scattered  regiments,  they  strove  to  re-estab- 
lish the  battle.  All  that  courage  can  dare,  all  that  the 
most  consummate  experience  can  advise,  they  endeav- 


THE    BATTLE  107 

ored  to  accomplish  with  an  equal  ardor  and  tenacity.  But 
the  breath  of  triumph  influenced  the  Swedish  army  and 
urged  it  onward.  A  few  squadrons  gathered  about  Count 
Pappenhcim,  some  ret^iments  chained  by  discipline  alone 
resisted  them  and  still  obeyed  the  voice  of  Count  Tilly. 

"Look  at  him!"'  exclaimed  Renaud  to  Armand-Louis, 
pointing  out  the  Grand  Marshal  of  the  Empire,  who 
stood  in  his  stirrups  and  felled  to  earth  every  soldier  who 
approached  him. 

Neither  Armand-Louis  nor  Renaud  could  help  admir- 
ing this  valiant  warrior.  He  showed  himself  superior  to 
ill  fortune  and  knew  at  once  how  to  command  and  how  to 
strike. 

"Ah,  that  he  may  not  fall  here,  he  whom  they  have  so 
properly  surnamed  'the  Soldier,'  "  said  Renaud.  "And 
oh,  that  I  might  one  day  meet  him  face  to  face.  See, 
he's  a  lion.     None  can  down  him,  none  can  stop  him." 

"Well,  then,"  cried  Armand-Louis,"  since  Count  Pap- 
penheim  cannot  reach  us,  let  us  go  to  him." 

"Let  us  fly!"  yelled  the  Huguenots. 

A  flood  of  assailants  had  separated  him  from  Count 
Tilly  and,  like  a  boar  harassed  by  a  pack  of  hounds,  the 
Grand  Marshal  galloped  into  the  neighboring  wood, 
whither  all  that  remained  of  his  magnificent  cavalry  had 
disappeared  before  Renaud  could  come  up  with  him. 

The  army  of  Count  Tilly,  this  army  which  was  called 
invincible,  was  at  last  overthrown,  annihilated.  He  alone 
still  stood  his  ground,  hoping  that  some  chance  would 
render  him  victory  which  had  so  long  been  faithful  to  his 
colors.  But  the  hour  came  at  last  when  he  was  obliged 
to  yield  to  the  officers  grouped  about  him.  They  had 
remained  beside  him  despite  the  horror  of  the  rout. 

When  the  old  commander  decided  to  quit  the  field  of 
battle,  on  which  his  military  fortune  had  been  shattered, 
night  was  falling  and  still  it  was  not  easy  for  him  to  es- 
cape from  his  conquerors. 

Hunted  unremittingly,  wotmded  four  times,  weakened 
by  loss  of  blood,  it  seemed  as  though  Count  Tilly  could 
no  longer  evade  the  Swedes  who  were  mad  to  capture 
him.  His  escort,  diminished  each  minute  by  fire  and 
sword,  was  reduced  to  a  few  men.    Two  leagues  from  the 


io8  THE  BATTLE 

field  the  pursuit  still  rolled  on.  An  officer  of  the  Finnish 
Guard,  his  sword  aloft,  approached  the  conquered  com- 
mander and  raised  his  hand  to  seize  him  by  the  belt. 

Captain  Jacobus,  terrible  and  livid,  his  hands  red  with 
blood,  his  hat  and  cloak  in  tatters,  more  furious  than 
frightened,  was  marching  in  the  rear  of  the  escort.  With 
a  blow  of  his  pistol  he  broke  the  Finlander's  skull  and 
then  helped  the  aged  commander  to  mount  the  steed  of 
the  dead  man. 

"If  Count  Tilly  fell,  who  would  fight  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus?"  he  said. 

"I  thank  you,"  replied  the  man  of  Magdebourg. 

Then  digging  the  spurs  into  the  Swedish  horse,  he 
gained  the  forest  where  Count  Pappenheim  was  rallying 
the  remains  of  his  regiments. 

For  an  instant  Captain  Jacobus  paused  to  give  his 
horse  a  chance  to  breathe.  He  glanced  back  toward  the 
heights  now  crowned  by  the  Swedish  army. 

"Thou  dost  triumph  to-day,  Gustavus  Adolphus,"  he 
cried,  "but  patience.  The  war  is  not  ended.  We  shall 
meet  again." 

A  great  shout  struck  upon  his  ears.  It  was  the  voice 
of  Armand-Louis,  who  had  caught  sight  of  him  and  was 
now  charging  upon  him,  followed  by  Magnus. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud 
had  rushed  upon  Count  Pappenheim ;  but  in  the  con- 
fusion they  became  separated  and  each  thrust  his  sword 
at  hazard  in  the  conflict,  the  one  striving  to  reach  Count 
Pappenheim,  the  other  Count  Tilly. 

Armand-Louis  had  ridden  across  the  plain  in  a  lost 
quest,  when  he  perceived  Captain  Jacobus.  In  a  minute 
he  was  brandishing  his  sword  and  dashing  toward  him. 
But  Captain  Jacobus  turned  his  horse  and  did  not  tarry. 
He  had  no  intention  of  exposing  his  life  while  the  King 
of  Sweden  lived.  Provided  with  a  fleeter  mount  he  soon 
attained  the  edge  of  the  wood  and  was  lost  therein. 

Magnus  seized  the  bridle  of  his  master's  horse,  say- 
ing: 

"Halt !    The  wood  is  full  of  ambushes." 

"Ah,"  returned  Armand-Louis,  shuddering  with  rage, 


THE  BATTLE  109 

"that  scoundrel  will  not  always  be  so  lucky  as  to  have  h 
forest  before  him." 

As  he  rode  back  leisurely  lie  heard  cries  of  distress. 
He  traced  the  sound  and  in  the  thick  of  a  band  of  cav- 
aliers, near  a  burning  cottage,  he  saw  a  woman  lying  on 
the  ground  and  a  young  girl  who  was  struggling  with 
her  assailants. 

"  'Sdeath!"  roared  Armand-Louis,  "there  are  wretches 
who  will  pay  for  Captain  Jacobus." 

He  spurred  his  horse  into  a  gallop. 

"  'Tis  imprudent,"  cried  Magnus,  who  followed  him. 
■'They  are  twelve,  we  are  two,  and  now  is  the  time  that 
the  best  soldiers  often  become  plunderers." 

Magnus  glanced  over  the  plain  and  saw  naught  but 
horses  running  wild,  corpses  here  and  there  and  in  the 
distance  a  veil  of  smoke. 

"This  is  a  nasty  adventure,"  he  said  to  himself  as  he 
galloped  onward. 

One  of  the  cavaliers  had  seized  the  young  girl  by  the 
arm.  She  clung  to  the  body  of  the  woman  lying  on  the 
ground,  whose  head  was  cloven  in  twain  with  a  sabre 
blow.     The  man  tore  her  up  and  lifted  her  to  his  horse. 

"Scoundrel!"  yelled  Armand-Louis.  leaping  forward 
and  hitting  the  ravisher's  hand  with  the  flat  of  his  sword, 
"be  off!" 

"Oh,  save  me,"  sobbed  the  girl  running  to  the  Hugue- 
not.    "They  have  killed  my  mother." 

Her  dishevelled  hair  fell  down  over  her  face.  Blood 
flowed  on  her  cheeks.  Armand-Louis  leaped  before  her 
and  cried  : 

"Death  to  him  who  touches  her!" 

r.ut  the  cavaliers  had  reckoned  their  number  and  one 
of  them  jeered : 

"Kill  a  soldier  for  a  gypsy!    Death  to  the  officer!" 

The  sound  of  his  voice  still  vibrated  in  the  air  as  Bal- 
ivernc  sank  into  his  throat. 

"Re  still,  chatterer!"  growled  Magnus. 

Then  in  a  lower  voice  he  added  : 

"A  stupid  business!  They  have  still  the  advantage  of 
number." 

But  the  boldness  of  the  two  rescuers,  the  fiery  attitude, 


no  THB,  BATTIER 

the  swiftness  of  their  blows,  all  had  disconcerted  the  rav- 
ishers.    They  hesitated  and  consulted  among  themselves. 

"Yet  we  can't  leave  here  without  some  booty,"  said 
one  of  them. 

"Here,"  pursued  another,  "give  us  the  girl  and  go  on 
your  way." 

"Come  and  take  her!"  roared  Armand-Louis,  and 
charging  upon  the  soldier  who  had  addressed  him,  he 
sent  him  in  a  heap  to  the  earth  with  a  sword  thrust 
through  his  heart. 

The  freebooters  let  forth  a  cry  of  rage,  and  serrying 
their  rank,  they  raised  their  sabres. 

"This  is  going  to  be  a  mess,"  thought  Magnus,  "and 
all  for  a  gypsy." 

At  this  juncture  Renaud  and  Carquefou,  followed  by 
five  dragoons,  appeared.  They  had  lost  the  trail  of  Count 
Pappenheim. 

Renaud,  whose  disappointment  vexed  him  to  utter  low 
imprecations,  caught  sight  of  Armand-Louis. 

"Ha,  ha !"  he  said,  "they  are  having  a  chat  below 
there." 

His  horse  leaped  forward ;  but  the  marauders,  who  had 
perceived  him,  suddenly  changed  their  tactics.  Their  at- 
tack was  transformed  into  a  rout.  They  vanished  like  a 
fiight  of  pigeons  before  a  hawk. 

The  gypsy  had  thrown  herself  across  the  body  of  her 
mother,  weeping  violently. 

"Ah,  Sir,"  she  said  at  last,  raising  her  head,  "my  mother 
breathes." 

Touched  with  pity  Armand-Louis  had  the  poor  woman 
laid  upon  a  horse.  A  little  life  still  remained  in  her,  but 
the  blood  flowed  in  waves  from  her  wound, 

"We  will  do  all  we  can  for  her,"  he  said. 

The  young  gypsy  pressed  her  lips  to  the  hand  of  the 
Huguenot,  then  uplifting  her  black  eyes,  she  said : 

"Tell  me  your  name.  I  shall  never  forget  it.  I  am 
called  Yerta." 

On  their  way  Yerta  told  them  that  she  belonged  to  a 
tribe  of  gypsies  which  followed  Count  Tilly's  army  and 
bought  and  sold  horses.  At  the  moment  when  the  battle 
ended  the  poor  girl  and  her  mother  found  themselves 


THE  BATTLE  in 

with  two  men  of  their  tribe  on  the  edge  of  a  field.  Sud- 
vlenly  a  troop  of  cavahers  stirrounded  tliem.  The  two 
men  ran  off.  Tlie  mother,  seeing  her  seized  by  one  of 
the  marauders,  tlirew  herself  in  front  of  the  girl  to  save 
her.    A  sabre  blow  stretched  her  on  the  turf. 

"A  Christian  came  and  saved  poor  Yerta,"  she  added 
in  a  sweet  voice.     "Henceforward  my  life  is  yours." 

They  laid  the  dying  gypsy  in  a  tent  near  the  one  oc- 
cupied by  Armand-Louis.  Magnus  was  commanded  to 
see  that  she  wanted  for  nothing.  Then  Armand-Louis 
went  forth  to  seek  the  king. 

Torrents  of  light  illuminated  the  bivouac  of  the  vic- 
torious army.  Torches  and  flames  blazed  everywhere. 
King  Gustavus  Adolphus,  preceded,  followed,  accom- 
panied by  the  huzzas  of  twenty  thousand  soldiers,  had 
just  visited  the  field  of  battle,  where  under  his  care  all 
the  wounded  had  been  borne.  He  met  the  Count  of  La 
Guerche  riding  at  the  head  of  his  dragoons.  The  gar- 
ments of  every  warrior  bore  witness  to  the  fight  they  had 
waged. 

Gustavus  Adolphus  rode  swiftly  to  the  Huguenot's 
side  and  embraced  him,  saying : 

"Colonel,  next  to  God,  I  owe  this  victory  to  you." 

An  immense  shout  of  joy  greeted  the  king  and  the 
young  colonel  who  rode  with  him. 

"Ah,"  murmured  Armand-Louis,  "why  is  Adrienne  not 
here !" 

When  he  returned  to  his  quarters  he  found  Yerta 
weeping  over  the  body  of  her  mother.  She  arose  and 
kissed  his  hands  anew. 

"She  is  dead,"  the  gypsy  whispered.  "I  am  alone  in 
the  world." 

All  night  long  she  remained  seated  in  the  tent  beside 
her  dead  mother.  She  sang  in  a  low  chanting  tone  and 
wept.  Her  voice  was  so  plaintive,  her  songs  sad,  that 
the  heart  of  the  veteran  Magnus  ached  for  her. 

At  daybreak  two  men  of  Ycrta's  tribe  glided  noise- 
lessly into  the  tent.  They  wrapped  the  gypsy's  body  in 
a  cloak  and  burierl  it  Hn  a  remote  and  unmarked  spot. 
Then  they  vanished  furtively  like  birds  of  the  night. 

Twice  or  thrice  during  the  day  Yerta  was  seen  haunt- 


112  THE  BATTLE 

ing  the  tent  of  Armand-Louis.  When  he  passed  she  fol- 
lowed him  with  her  eyes.  He  stopped  in  front  of  her. 
Yerta  began  suddenly  to  tremble  and  tears  bathed  her 
face.  When  he  was  unmindful  of  her,  she  took  the  hem 
of  his  cloak  and  bore  it  to  her  lips. 

Once,  feeling  herself  quite  alone,  she  stole  into  the 
Huguenot's  tent.  She  watched  an  instant,  glanced  all 
about  her  and  seeing  one  of  his  gloves  lying  in  a  corner 
she  quickly  seized  it.  Then  she  saw  a  medallion  hung 
between  two  swords  on  the  pole  which  supported  the 
tent.  She  took  hold  of  it  with  a  kind  of  feline  quickness, 
touched  the  spring  of  its  gold  lid  and  saw  within  the  por- 
trait of  a  woman.  Yerta  turned  pale  and  sat  down  upon 
a  chest.  She  studied  the  picture  a  long  while  in  a  kind 
of  trance,  then  replaced  it  between  the  two  swords,  threw 
back  the  glove  and  glided  out  of  the  tent. 

When  evening  came  she  had  vanished.  When  Ar- 
mand-Louis asked  Magnus  what  had  become  of  Yerta, 
Magnus  pointed  to  a  bird  which  was  hopping  from  limb 
to  limb  on  a  tree  nearby. 

"Whither  goes  that  bird?"  he  asked. 


THE  WILES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE  113 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  WILES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE. 

Let  US  for  a  short  while  leave  the  Count  of  La  Guerche 
and  the  Marquis  of  Chaufontainc  at  the  court  of  King 
Gustavus  Adolphus.  where  war  will  scarcely  allow  them 
luui!;  leisure,  and  let  us  return  to  ]\iadanie  d'ls^omer,  of 
whom  we  have  lost  sight  since  the  audacity  of  Magnus 
took  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  and  Mademoiselle  de 
Pardaillan  from  '  or  clutches  at  the  triumphant  moment 
when  she  was  leading  them  to  St.  Rupert's  Convent. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  John  of  Werth,  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  desire  of  the  baroness,  had  promised  to  es- 
cort her  in  person  to  Prague,  in  which  city  Field  Marshal 
Wallenstein  had  fixed  his  residence.  The  check  she  had 
received  in  the  pavilion,  in  which  she  had  passed  the 
night,  did  not  alter  her  resolution,  and  on  the  morrow 
she  set  out  for  Bohemia.  Escorted,  however,  by  the 
people  of  the  baron,  she  left  the  General  of  the  Bavarian 
troops  before  Magdebourg.  She  was  sure  of  him  and 
she  wished  only  to  have  an  accomplice  not  less  ardent 
and  obstinate  in  hate  to  keep  guard  over  the  city  in  which 
the  two  cousins  had  sought  such  a  fatal  refuge. 

For  the  designs  which  ripened  in  her  agitated  brain 
the  Baroness  rl'Igomer  needed  an  all-powerful  supi)ort. 
She  needed  this  support  if  she  were  never  to  enter  the 
palace  toward  which  she  directed  her  steps  with  feverish 
impatience,  revenged  at  last  and  pride-blown  with  her 
triumph  ;  and  if,  on  the  contrary,  she  appeared  there  con- 
quered and  shattered  by  her  defeat,  she  nourished  the 
hope  of  extracting  the  better  part  of  this  misfortimc. 

She  was  pursuing  a  double  aim,  therefore;  first,  to 
lose  her  rival ;  then,  deprived  of  the  sole  love  that  had 
ever  made  her  heart  throb,  to  show  to  Renaud.  by  the 
glory  of  the    almightiness    toward    which  her  ambition 


114  THE  WIIvES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE 

aspired,  what  she  was  and  what  she  had  been  wilHng  to 
sacrifice  to  him. 

"Then  he  will  know  me,"  she  mused,  "and  perhaps  he 
will  regret  me.  I  do  not  know  whether  I  will  be  happy, 
but  at  least  he  will  not  be  more  so." 

As  she  rode  along  she  arranged  her  argument  and 
prepared  herself  for  the  part  of  the  victim,  which  she  pro- 
posed to  play. 

The  man  whom  Ferdinand  the  Emperor  had  created 
the  Duke  of  Friedland,  in  recognition  of  the  services  he 
had  rendered  to  the  throne  of  Hapsburg,  at  this  time 
held  a  position  at  Prague,  whose  brilliance  was  not  less 
than  the  grandeur  of  his  sovereign  master.  His  military 
reputation  equalled  Count  Tilly's  and  his  pomp  and 
wealth  surpassed  all  that  had  been  hitherto  known.  Now 
for  some  time  in  disgrace,  he  possessed,  in  the  retreat  he 
had  chosen  in  the  centre  of  his  domains,  a  court  which 
a  mighty  king  might  have  envied.  Around  him 
swarmed  a  very  people  of  officers  devoted  to  his  for- 
tunes, and  which  his  prodigal  hand  entertained  magnifi- 
cently. He  had  sixty  pages  and  fifty  guards  attached  to 
his  house. 

The  most  noble  lords  considered  it  a  happiness  to  be 
admitted  to  this  fairy  palace,  which  was  reached  by  six 
vast  porticos.  Gentlemen  of  the  best  houses  aspired  to 
the  honor  of  serving  him.  His  treasures  sufficed  for  all ; 
and  in  this  royal  solitude,  on  which  were  cast  the  eyes  of 
Germany,  his  ungovernable  ambition  meditated  new 
glories. 

Not  in  the  whole  empire,  from  the  shores  of  the  Elbe 
to  the  Rhine,  from  the  Baltic  Sea  to  the  mountains  of 
Tyrol,  was  there  a  soldier  who  did  not  know  him,  not  a 
commander  who  did  not  respect  or  fear  him.  His  name 
was  a  standard.  At  his  call  not  a  man  who  could  handle 
a  sword  or  a  musket,  who  was  not  glad  to  undertake  a 
new  campaign  under  his  command.  From  that  moment 
they  felt  certain  of  victory.  He  possessed  the  great  art 
of  rewarding  liberally  whoever  served  him.  He  had 
been  seen  by  some  magic  to  improvise  armies,  and  sud- 
denly to  arise  at  the  head  of  numerous  regiments  in  a 


THE  WILES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE  115 

devastated  province,  where  on  the  preceding  day  there 
had  been  naught  but  fugitives. 

He  had  his  chamberlains  and  his  majordonios,  his  great 
officers  and  his  ambassadors  even  as  the  Emperor.  He 
was  treated  with  as  a  crowned  head.  Disgraced  by  his 
master,  because  lie  was  feared,  he  was  not  discouraged ; 
a  reverse  to  the  imperial  armies  could  restore  to  him  his 
sovereign  military  power.  Then,  the  Baroness  d'Igomer 
had  witnessed  too  much  in  a  small  number  of  years  not 
to  understand  that  war  has  its  caprices.  She  did  not 
know  whence  should  come  the  thunderbolt  that  would 
replace  W'allenstein  on  his  pinnacle,  but  she  was  con- 
\inced  that  it  would  strike.  She  must,  therefore,  make 
sure  of  him  before  he  became  master. 

The  baroness  had  not  forgotten  a  certain  evening  in 
Vienna,  the  occasion  of  a  ball,  when  the  first  lieutenant 
of  the  Emperor  had  considered  her  with  glances  which 
his  familiars  had  never  seen  him  bestow  on  anyone.  He 
had  spoken  to  her  and  that  stern  voice  at  which  the 
whole  world  trembled  had  softened ;  that  austere  and 
sallow  visage  had  flushed.  Something  had  thro])l)ed  in 
the  breast  of  the  savage  general  which  was  strange  to 
him.  At  this  time  Madame  d'Igomer,  married  only  a 
few  days,  was  in  the  bloom  of  her  springtime ;  but  she 
was  in  wit  already  a  woman  and  no  detail  of  that  night 
had  escaped  her.  What  more  glorious  triumph  for  her 
youthful  vanity !  But  now  in  the  memory  of  this  day, 
what  an  indignation  she  felt  toward  herself  for  having 
yielded  to  the  love  inspired  by  a  poor  gentleman,  almost 
an  adventurer,  when  at  a  nod  of  her  head  she  could  have 
had  the  master  of  Germany  at  her  feet !  Despairing  and 
still  inwardly  bleeding  from  the  wounds  of  her  heart, 
which  wondered  why  it  had  given  itself  up,  Madame 
d'Igomer  wished  to  learn  whether  her  sun-like  beauty 
could  yet  work  upon  Wallenstein  the  charm  and  seduc- 
tion which  were  to  serve  her  new  designs. 

Her  first  care  on  arriving  at  Prague  was  to  pay  a  visit 
to  him.  With  what  art  flid  she  not  approach  him!  How 
she  curtsied  over  the  mighty  hand  winch  the  diik(^  prof- 
fercfl  to  her!  With  what  sweet  and  suppliant  inflection 
of  the  voice  did  she  tell  him  that  she  was  a  widow,  alone 


Ii6  THR  WILES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE 

and  almost  without  protection.  In  the  midst  of  the 
abandon  which  surrounded  her,  desolate  as  a  fledgling 
whose  nest  has  been  swept  away  in  a  storm,  she  had 
recollected  the  illustrious  and  all-powerful  Wallenstein, 
the  pride  of  Germany.  The  terrible  and  magnanimous 
warrior  had  spoken  to  her  kindly  in  the  past,  she  re- 
membered, and  her  first  impulse  urged  her  toward  him. 
Cruel  enmities  pursued  her.  She  had  left  much  rancor 
at  the  court  of  Sweden,  where  melancholy  days  had  en- 
chained her.  But  if  her  presence  might  stir  any  danger 
against  the  man  whom  the  whole  empire  admired,  she 
was  ready  to  flee  and  to  drag  out  the  last  years  of  her  life 
within  the  icy  shadow  of  a  convent. 

Two  tears  fell  from  her  eyes  and  rolled  like  pearls 
down  her  rose-tinted  cheeks.  Wallenstein  raised  her  up, 
saying : 

"Enter,  Madam.     This  palace  is  yours." 

This  was  a  first  success.  She  counted  on  gaining 
others.  Soon  she  contrived  to  interest  the  Duke  of 
Friedland  in  imaginary  woes  which  permitted  her  to  shed 
tears  that  accentuated  her  beauty.  Pity  mingled  with 
the  spontaneous  sentiment  of  seduction  to  whose  empire 
her  host  yielded.  It  was  not  long  before  chamberlains, 
majordomos,  equerries  and  pages,  in  fine,  a  whole  people 
of  gentlemen  and  captains,  learned  to  reckon  with  the 
new  star  which  shone  above  Prague. 

Among  all  those  who  surrounded  Wallenstein,  one 
alone  was  really  to  be  mistrusted.  This  was  an  Italian, 
Seni,  who  consulted  the  stars  to  the  profit  of  the  Field 
Marshal.  But  Thecla  pierced  this  man  with  her  first 
glance.  One  evening  she  asked  the  astrologer  to  conie 
to  her  apartment.  vShe  showed  him  a  jewel  of  priceless 
value,  suspended  from  a  chain  of  gold,  in  a  casket. 

"This  is  a  tribute  which  my  sex  pays  your  science," 
she  said.  "I  dare  to  hope  that  it  will  not  prove  unfavor- 
able, and  that  the  planets  under  your  laws  will  accord 
me  a  part  of  the  friendship  I  ask." 

The  astrologer  could  not  misunderstand  the  smile  and 
the  glance  which  accompanied  her  words. 

"What  have  you  to  fear  from  the  planets  which  con- 


THE  WILHS  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  KVE  117 

fide  their  secrets  to  me,"  Seni  replied.     "You  shine  as 
brilliantly  as  \'enus  and  the  stars  are  your  sisters." 

"That's  what  you  must  sometimes  say  to  His  High- 
ness, the  Duke  of  Fricdland  ;  and  I  shall  not  fail  to  swear 
to  him  that  you  are  never  mistaken." 

That  very  evening  the  conjunction  of  Mars  and  Jupiter 
demonstrated  to  Wallenstein  that  the  arrival  of  Madame 
d'lgomer  at  Prague  was  a  good  auspice.  The  stars  re- 
joiced. 

The  correspondence  which  Madame  d'lgomer  had 
kept  with  the  army  of  Tilly  enabled  her  to  know  before 
everybody  the  taking  of  Aiagdebourg.  This  was  noth- 
ing to  her.  But  what  did  interest  her,  was  that  Made- 
moiselle de  Pardaillan,  who,  she  was  aware,  was  in  the 
beleaguered  city,  had  not  succeeded  in  escaping  from  it. 
Of  this  she  was  assured  by  a  courier  sent  on  the  same 
evening  the  catastrophe  had  occurred.  Now  they  must 
endeavor  to  get  the  captive  out  of  Count  Pappcnheim's 
hands,  send  her  to  Prague,  where  the  baroness  would 
have  every  liberty  to  dispose  of  her  according  to  her 
caprice.  But  to  attain  such  a  result  it  was  first  of  all 
necessary  to  secure  the  co-operation  of  Count  Pappen- 
heim.  The  plan  of  the  baroness  was  promptly  con- 
ceived. One  morning  she  presented  herself  before  the 
Duke  of  Fricdland,  her  face  bathed  in  tears. 

"What  horrible  news  I  have  learned,"  she  said,  falling 
to  her  knees.  "Pll  not  leave  this  spot  till  you  grant  me 
the  favors  I  ask." 

"What  is  it?  Do  you  not  command  here?"  said  Wal- 
lenstein, seating  her  beside  him. 

"Magdebourg  is  taken !" 

"Well,  was  it  not  a  rebel  city?  The  arms  of  the  Em- 
peror have  punished  it." 

"Ah,  but  you  do  not  know.  Two  persons  of  quality, 
two  young  girls,  who  are  kinswomen,  have  fallen  into 
the  power  of  Count  Pappenheim.  Count  Tilly,  who 
knows  their  name  and  fortune,  claims  them.  To  what 
citadel  will  they  be  driven  ?  To  what  shameful  treat- 
ment will  they  be  exposed  ?  Despite  all  I  have  suffered 
in  Sweden,  I  cannot  forget  that  I  slept  under  their  roof." 

"Generous  Thccla,  always  good  and  devoted!" 


Ii8  THE  WILES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE 

"Obtain  from  Count  Tilly  that  Mademoiselle  de  Par- 
daillan  and  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  be  delivered  to 
you,  that  your  palace  be  their  prison.  If  he  asks  for 
gold,  gold  has  never  cost  your  liberal  hand  anything. 
Here  I  shall  watch  over  them.  More,  I  will  secure  their 
eternal  salvation.  If  God  wills  it,  I'll  free  their  souls 
from  the  night  of  heresy.  Thus  shall  acquit  my  heart's 
debt." 

"What  do  you  wish  me  to  do,  Thecla?  Must  I  send 
one  of  my  officers  to  Count  Tilly?  He  knows  me  I'll 
answer  for  his  consent." 

"And  who  would  refuse  the  wish  of  the  Prince  of  Wal- 
lenstein?  But,  do  more.  Allow  me  to  go  myself.  I 
shall  go  to  meet  Count  Pappenheim,  and  when  the  two 
captives  see  me  they  will  believe  themselves  saved.  Ah, 
if  I  could  but  restore  these  strayed  souls  to  the  bosom  of 
our  Holy  Mother  Church !" 

"But,"  returned  Wallenstein,  "this  journey  which  you 
would  undertake  will  separate  you  from  me  for  a  long 
time.  You  are  going  to  see  a  man  laden  with  the  laurels 
of  victory ;  and  what  am  I,  except  a  soldier  who  is  for- 
gotten?" 

"You  are  the  Duke  of  Friedland ;  he  who  has  con- 
quered ever,  he  whom  the  stars  protect.  Wallenstein 
has  deigned  to  lower  his  glance  to  me ;  and  Wallenstein 
thinks  that  I  can  be  dazzled  by  any  but  him !  Ah,  why 
is  he  not  poor,  forsaken,  miserable,  betrayed  by  men  as 
he  is  by  the  Emperor,  that  he  might  learn  the  extent  of 
my  devotion !" 

The  Duke  pressed  the  head  of  Thecla  to  his  heart. 

"Ah,"  she  thought,  "formerly  it  was  the  arms  of  Ren- 
aud  which  held  me  thus." 

Madame  d'Igomer  set  out.  She  bore  a  letter  signed 
with  the  mighty  name  of  Wallenstein,  and  an  escort  of 
honor. 

The  letter,  which  was  for  Count  Tilly,  advised  the 
conqueror  of  Magdebourg  that  the  Duke  of  Friedland 
desired  the  presence  of  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  and 
Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  at  Prague.  He  was  also  no- 
tified   that    they    were    kinswomen    of    the    Baroness 


THE  WILES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE  119 

(I'lgomcr.  the  grand-niistrcss  of  his  palace.  Great  pres- 
ents went  with  the  letter,  which  Madame  d'Igonicr  did 
not  deliver  without  saying  a  word  about  the  ransom,  the 
greater  part  of  which  should  revert  to  him  who  had  the 
largest  right  to  booty.  Count  Tilly  yielded  and  there 
remained  only  to  rejoin  Count  Pappenheim,  who  had 
taken  time  by  the  forelock. 

"He  insisted  on  escorting  the  prisoners  in  person," 
said  the  old  general.  "Therefore,  do  not  lose  a  minute, 
for  on  learning  of  the  capture  of  Magdebourg,  the  Em- 
peror appointed  Count  Pappenheim  to  the  command  of 
a  body  of  troops  which  is  to  fight  in  Saxe. 

Madame  d'Igomer.  provided  with  this  knowledge, 
conferred  with  John  of  Werth. 

"I  know  him,  whom  they  call  The  Soldier,"  the  baron 
explained.  "He's  a  man  mulish  in  mad  resolutions.  I 
should  like  you  to  tell  me  where  he  got  the  reputation  for 
chivalry.  The  two  captives  are  lost  to  us  if  you  do  not 
find  the  weak  point  in  his  cuirass." 

"No  cuirass  is  w^ithout  flaw.  Trust  me  to  discover  the 
one  in  his.  Grant  only  that  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny 
come  to  Prague,  where  I  reign,  and  I  give  you  my  word 
she  shall  be  yours." 

"My  sole  fear  is  that  Count  Pappenheim  will  refuse  to 
leave  either  her  or  her  cousin." 

"On  your  conscience,  do  you  believe  that  he  still  loves 
Adrienne?" 

"No.  Time  and  separation  have  dissipated  this  dream 
of  a  day.  But  he  knows  that  I  love  her  and  he  has 
promised  the  Count  of  La  Gucrchc  to  be  her  guardian." 

"  'Tis  a  question  of  honor,  then.  I  dread  it  less  than  a 
question  of  love.  Let  me  kindle  a  desire  in  this  passion- 
ate soul  and  Pll  direct  the  flame  whithersoever  I  please." 

"You  have  the  gift  of  miracles,"  said  John  of  Werth, 
smilingly. 

"No;  but  I  have  the  gift  of  hate.  Now  arrange  mat- 
ters so  that  I  may  meet  Count  Pappenheim  as  soon  as 
possible." 

Thanks  to  an  exceeding  assiduity,  John  f)f  Werth  and 
Madame  d'Igomer  caught  up  with   Cutuit    rappenhcim 


I20  THE  WILES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE 

toward  the  close  of  the  second  day  thereafter.  An  hour 
later  Thecla  was  announced  to  the  general. 

"Ah,  a  command!''  he  said,  reading  the  dispatches 
which  the  baroness  had  given  to  him. 

"The  Emperor  relies  on  your  devotion." 

"He  has  the  right  to  rely  on  it,  since  the  King  of 
Sweden  is  in  Germany.  But  perhaps  you  are  not  aware 
of  my  position  here?" 

"I  know  all.  Read!"  and  with  a  hardy  hand  she  held 
out  the  letters  of  Wallenstein  and  Tilly. 

"Surrender  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  and  Made- 
moiselle de  Souvigny  to  you?"  he  continued,  after  glanc- 
ing at  both  letters.     "And  my  word  of  honor?" 

"And  your  interest?" 

The  general  and  the  baroness  looked  each  other 
steadily  in  the  eyes. 

"Let's  have  no  big  words,"  pursued  Thecla.  "Let  us 
call  things  by  their  names.  There  are  two  young  girls. 
One  of  them  you  loved  for  a  day " 

"Ah,  you  know  it?" 

"I  am  a  bit  of  a  diplomat.  A  diplomat  should  know 
everything.  That  she  loves  the  Count  of  La  Guerche 
and  that  John  of  Werth  loves  her  is  a  matter  to  be  ar- 
ranged between  those  gentlemen.  You  have  no  sword 
to  draw  for  the  one  or  the  other.  But  besides  Made- 
moiselle de  Souvigny  there  is  Mademoiselle  de  Par- 
daillan, and  here's  an  affair  to  which  you  have  not,  per- 
haps, paid  sufficient  attention." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  mean  that  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan,  Countess  of 
Mummelsberg,  through  her  mother,  is  in  consequence 
almost  a  German,  and  that  her  title  is  from  the  crown  of 
Austria,  one  of  whose  heroic  servants  is  yourself.  Being 
the  sole  daughter  and  heir  of  the  Marquis  of  Paidaillan, 
a  man  for  whom  the  Pactolus  flows  in  Sweden,  she  is 
gifted  to  flatter  the  pride  and  win  the  love  of  the  greatest 
lords  in  Germany.  It  is  known  that  eyes  see  her  only  to 
admire  and  see  only  her  when  the  two  cousins  are  to- 
gether." 

"She  is  truly  charming,"  murmured  Count  Pappen- 
heim. 


THE  WILES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE  121 

"Do  you  believe,"  continued  Thccla,  drawing  nearer 
to  him,  "that  prisoner  of  Emperor  Ferdinand  as  she  is, 
the  master  of  the  Empire  would  hesitate  to  give  her  to 
him  who  has  so  valiantly  served  him?  What  domains 
would  then  be  added  to  the  estate  of  Papponhcim  !  It 
is  true  that  the  Marquis  of  Chaufontaine  adores  her,  and 
I  have  been  told  that  Count  Pappenheim  met  the  mar- 
quis at  Le  Grande  Fortelle." 

Count  Pappenheim  bit  his  lips. 

"And  that  would  forge  bonds  which  nothing  can  de- 
stroy. Did  he  not  brave  you?  Did  he  not  make  you 
undergo  the  first  check,  which  he  who  was  afterwards 
called  Tlie  Soldier  endured?  That  is  what  one  may  call  a 
title.  \Mien  you  were  still  thinking  of  Mademoiselle  de 
Souvigny,  have  I  not  heard  it  related  that  in  a  town  near 
Malincs,  Rcnaud  of  Chaufontaine  boldly  killed  one  of 
your  men,  and  a  fine  blade  at  that!  Ha,  ha!  the  Mar- 
quis of  Chaufontaine  has  a  right  to  Count  Pappenheim's 
respect.     He  struck  you  ;  bow  !'' 

"Madam,"  he  said,  "you  have  uttered  words  that  no 
man  should  have  spoken  with  imi)unity.  You  are  a 
woman.     I  forget  them." 

"No.     Don't  forget  them  !"  retorted  the  baroness. 

"But  what  would  you  have  me  do?" 

"What  I  would  do  if  I  had  the  honor  to  be  called  God- 
frey-Henry of  Pappenheim." 

"Then  speak,  woman,  speak !" 

"A  man  has  insulted  you,  a  foreigner,  an  enemy  of 
your  country  and  your  Emperor !  This  man  loves  a 
woman,  whom  the  chances  of  war  have  cast  into  your 
hands,  anrl  you  ask  me  what  you  arc  to  do?  A  truce  to 
vain  words.  Arc  you  one  of  those  schoolboys  who  are 
governed  by  childish  scruples?  Do  you  desire  to  re- 
serve for  this  Frenchman,  who  mocks  at  you  and  that 
only  because  he  is  conquered,  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
spots  that  Germany  has  to  offer  her  glorious  sons? 
Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  is  there  and  you  hesitate! 
You  speak  of  your  word  given  to  the  Count  of  La 
Gucrche.  The  order  of  Count  Tilly  frees  you  from  it, 
and  besides,  what  do  you  owe  to  the  Marquis  of  Chau- 
fontaine?    Is  it  gratitude  for  the  story  I've  heard  him 


122  THE  WILES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE 

tell  twenty  times  of  the  singular  figure  you  made  at  La 
Grande  Fortelle,  when  fifty  carbines  threatened  you 
from  all  sides?" 

"Chaufontaine  told  me  that "  but  Count  Pappen- 

heim  could  say  no  more.  His  blood  rose  in  his  throat 
and  suffocated  him. 

"Why  do  you  not  be  page  to  Mademoiselle  de  Par- 
daillan  to  conduct  her  to  this  happy  rival?  Does  the 
noble  blood  of  Pappenheim  stir  at  last?  Fortune  has 
placed  a  daughter  of  bFrth  in  your  hands,  like  a  dove  in 
the  claws  of  a  kite.  Don't  surrender  her.  Besides,  you 
will  be  doing  a  good  work,  a  pious  deed.  Remember 
the  Countess  of  Mummelsberg,  who  gave  life  to  Made 
moiselle  de  Pardaillan  was  a  Catholic.  You  restore  to 
the  foot  of  the  altar  the  victim  of  heresy  who  desecrates 
it.     A  fortune  for  yourself,  a  soul  for  heaven." 

"I  yield,"  cried  Count  Pappenheim,  trembling. 

"Then  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  and  Mademoiselle 
de  Pardaillan  follow  me  to  Prague?" 

"To  Prague  or  Vienna,  whither  you  will." 

"You  know  what  race  of  man  is  the  Duke  of  Fried- 
land.  None  more  faithful  to  his  friends.  I  shall  tell 
him  that  his  desire  was  your  law,  and  perhaps  the  day  is 
nigh  when  you  will  see  him  again  at  the  front  of  the  Im- 
perial armies.  Count,  behold  in  me  the  ambassadress  of 
the  Field-Marshal  Wallenstein. 

"To-night  I  take  the  road  to  Saxony,  while  you  fol- 
low the  one  to  Bohemia.  Is  your  presence  to  be  an- 
nounced to  the  two  cousins  ?" 

"  'Tis  unnecessary.  Tell  them  simply  that  you  are  no 
longer  charged  to  accompany  them.  I  will  arrange  all 
else." 

"And  I  may  rely  on  your  good  offices  with  her  who 
may  be  called  the  Countess  of  Mummelsberg?" 

"If  she  be  not  yours,  she  will  be  no  other's.  Yet  there 
is  Renaud  of  Chaufontaine " 

"God  will  grant  us  a  meeting,  and  I  will  answer  for 
it." 

"Till  we  meet  again,  then.  Count." 

"Till  we  meet  again,  baroness." 


TIIH  WILES  OF  A  DAUGHTER  OF  EVE  123 

A  moment  later  Madame  d'lgomcr  was  with  John  of 
Wcrth.  Slic  informed  him  of  the  result  of  her  interview 
witli  Count  Pappcnheim. 

"Did  I  not  tell  you?"  she  cried.  "I  found  the  flaw  in 
his  cuirass." 


124  PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PRISONERS  IN  A  PALACE. 

In  taking  leave  of  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  and  of 
Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan,  Count  Pappenheim  had 
good  heed  not  to  tell  them  all  he  knew.  His  conscience 
murmured  a  little,  but  hatred  and  ruffled  pride  stifled  its 
plaints.  He  gave  as  reason  for  his  departure  an  impera- 
tive order  from  the  Emperor  and  did  not  risk  any  lengthy 
farewells.  He  was  leaving  the  two  cousins,  he  said,  in 
the  hands  of  a  trustworthy  person.  When  he  had  gone 
Madame  d'Igomer  hastened  toward  Prague,  using  all 
caution  to  keep  her  presence  a  secret,  and  it  was  not  till 
they  reached  the  princely  residence  of  Wallenstein  that 
the  two  captives  learned  into  what  hands  implacable  for- 
tune had  cast  them  anew. 

As  soon  as  they  alighted  Thecla  ran  toward  them  with 
open  arms,  joy  in  her  eyes  and  the  fresh  smile  of  a  child 
on  her  lips.  A  chill  froze  the  blood  of  Adrienne  in  her 
veins. 

"Why  these  outstretched  arms?  Why  these  kisses?" 
she  said  to  her.  *'We  are  your  prisoners.  Let  us  have 
no  comedy !" 

"Is  there  a  St.  Rupert's  Convent  here,  too?"  added 
Diana. 

"Ah,  it  is  my  destiny,  then,  not  to  be  loved  by  those  I 
love,"  returned  the  baroness,  her  eyes  filling  with  tears. 

Madame  d'Igomer  had  the  gift  of  tears  and  she  used 
it  on  all  favorable  occasions.  Tears  became  her  features, 
to  which  they  lent  a  new  seductiveness  and  gave  her,  be- 
sides, a  semblance  of  feeling  of  which  she  profited  well. 

It  was  not  without  purpose  or  for  the  sole  pleasure  of 
playing  her  part  of  hypocrite  till  the  end  that  she  had 


PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE  125 

such  a  dulcet  tongue  for  the  two  cousins.  She  had  an 
uUerior  aim.  She  wished  to  parade  her  tender  and  pa- 
tient alTection  for  the  two  prisoners  before  the  eyes  of 
the  Duke  of  Fricdland,  and  to  pose  as  the  victim  of  black 
calumnies. 

Thus  she  hoped  to  gain  a  double  end,  to  inspire  her 
protector  with  an  inalterable  horror  for  the  creatures  who 
repelled  the  most  striking  testimonies  of  an  amiable  re- 
gard and  to  bedeck  herself  with  a  veil  of  unhappiness  and 
virtue. 

As  soon  as  the  two  cousins  had  been  settled  in  a  pa- 
vilion, where  without  any  sign  of  it,  they  were  subject  to 
the  most  active  surveillance,  Madame  d'Igomer  allowed 
herself  to  be  caught  in  tears  by  Wallenstein  twice  or 
thrice.  To  the  pressing  inquiries  of  the  Field  iNIarshab 
to  whom  these  tears  were  glorious  and  priceless  as  pearls, 
Thecla  first  ofTered  a  plaintiff  resistance ;  then,  as  if  sud- 
denly yielding  under  the  weight  of  her  woe,  she  cried  : 

"Oh,  I  do  not  know  any  punishment  more  intolerable 
to  a  tender  soul  than  to  be  misunderstood." 

Her  tears  redoubled  and  Wallenstein  at  last  tore  from 
her  the  secret  of  her  dolors. 

"You  know,"  she  said,  "how  much  I  love  Made- 
moiselle de  Pardaillan  and  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny, 
above  all.  the  former.  You  remember  in  what  terms  I 
mentioned  them  to  you.  Ah,  what  would  I  not  have 
done  to  secure  their  happiness !  My  desire  to  make  them 
happy  would  have  inspired  me  even  to  entreat  you  to 
send  them  back  to  the  Court  of  Sweden,  if  it  were  not 
against  the  laws  of  war.  They  are  ho.stages.  and  one 
may  hope  that  their  presence  here  will  detach  from  the 
party  of  Gustavus  Adolphus  a  lord  whose  experience 
would  admit  him  with  honor  into  the  counsels  of  the  Em- 
peror." 

"Madam,  you  talk  like  a  politician."  said  the  duke, 
kissing  her  hand.  "Your  lips  possess  all  wisdom  as  they 
hold  all  charm." 

"1  am  insjMrcd  in  your  interest,"  answered  Thecla.  "I 
have  then  conquered  myself  by  respect  for  this  imperious 
duty ;  but  I  wished  in  any  case  to  render  their  sojourn 
here  agreeable.       I  lavished  all  upon  them.       I  do  not 


126  PRISONERS   IN  A  PALACE 

Speak  of  my  tenderness,  it  was  already  theirs ;  nothing 
could  change  it.  But,  alas !  nothing  has  been  able  to 
melt  the  ice  between  us.  Choice  robes  which  might  have 
pleased  them,  and  of  which  I  deprived  myself,  caresses, 
distractions,  invented  for  them  alone,  courtesies,  suppli- 
cations, all  they  have  repelled." 

Madame  d'Igomer  bore  her  dainty  hands  to  her  eyes. 
The  duke  gently  drew  them  away,  saying : 

"And  still  you  weep  and  do  not  abandon  these  un- 
worthy creatures?" 

"I  love  them.  Then  another  thought  sustains  me.  Do 
you  understand  me,  my  dear  duke,  when  I  tell  you  that 
the  welfare  of  their  souls  is  as  dear  to  me  as  that  of  their 
bodies.  I  know  that  they  are  attached  to  two  French 
gentlemen  of  poor  birth,  who  are  seeking  their  fortune 
in  a  foreign  land,  not  being  able  to  earn  a  copper  in  their 
own  land.  I  met  both  of  them  at  the  time  fate  kept  me 
in  Sweden.  I  observed  their  manners  and  mind.  They 
are  rather  soldiers  of  fortune  than  gentlemen.  They  are 
said  to  be  brave,  but  what  soldier  in  the  armies  you  have 
led  to  a  hundred  vie  pries  is  not?  Beyond  this,  they 
have  nothing  in  their  favor.  By  what  witchcraft  have 
they  seduced  the  hearts  of  these  young  girls  I  know 
not.     Ah,  I  have  often  believed  that  some  sorcery " 

"Be  sure  of  it,"  interposed  Wallenstein,  whom  the  as- 
trologer Seni  kept  respectful  of  all  superstition. 

"I  did  not  dare  to  tell  you,"  pursued  Thecla,  shiver- 
ing, "but  there  is  something  in  their  way  of  thinking  and 
talking,  which  astonishes,  afflicts  me.  Despite  myself,  I 
see  in  this  the  influence  of  some  mysterious  power.  I, 
who  saw  them  enter  into  life,  do  not  recognize  them. 
Surprised,  alas,  even  indignant,  I  wished  to  rescue  their 
wandering  brains.  Irony  and  perverse  obstination  an- 
swered me.  Would  you  believe  that  one  of  them,  Mad- 
emoiselle de  Souvigny,  has  returned  the  kindnesses  of  her 
uncle,  the  Marquis  of  Pardaillan.  by  the  most  bitter  dis- 
dain? Whether  well  or  ill  advised  by  the  sectarians,  who 
abound  at  the  Court  of  Stockholm,  he  had  the  happy 
thought  to  destine  her  for  the  hand  of  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  captains  of  the  empire— " 

"Celebrated  captains,  did  you  say?" 


PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE  127 

"You  know,  my  lord,  that  when  the  sun  does  not  shine 
in  the  heavens,  the  stars  shed  rays." 

"The  name  of  this  star?" 

"Raron  John  of  Werth." 

'And  slie  refuses  him  ?" 

"That  is  not  all.  Another  famous  captain,  who  profits 
by  the  eclipse  of  the  sun  to  climb  to  the  stars,  is  en- 
amored of  Maidemoiselle  de  Pardaillan  and  asks  her 
hand." 

"The  name  of  this  amorous  star?" 

"Count  Pappenheim." 

"One  of  my  best  lieutenants." 

"That's  a  commendation,  which  Count  Pappenheim,  I 
am  sure,  would  not  exchange  for  an  elector's  crown." 

"Then  he  loves  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan?"  con- 
tinued W'allenstcin,  kissing  Thecla's  hand  anew. 

"He  adores  her.  But  as  her  cousin  acts  with  John  of 
Werth,  so  docs  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  with  Count 
Pappenheim.  She  declines  the  honor  of  so  grand  an 
alliance." 

"You  are  right.  This  inexplainable  obstinacy  must  be 
the  effect  of  witchcraft." 

"Ah,  my  lord,  the  two  unfortunates  were  reared  in  the 
heresy  of  the  Reformation." 

W'allenstein  crossed  himself  devoutly. 

"One  might  abandon  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  to 
her  blindness  by  weariness  of  her  obstinacy,"  pursued 
the  baroness ;  "but  another  interest  commands  firm, 
unctuous  action  with  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan.  Let 
us  not  forget  her  origin,  that  she  is  a  subject  of  the  em- 
pire, to  which  she  owes  faith  and  allegiance.  Let  us  not 
allow  the  Countess  of  Mummelsberg  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  a  Gallic  adventurer.  My  conscience  would 
never  absolve  me  of  such  a  weakness.  P>ut  if  I  have  the 
courage  to  desire  the  goofl  of  the  one,  why  should  I  not 
have  the  same  charity  for  the  other.  The  same  perils 
threaten  each." 

"Ah,  your  devotion  knows  no  limit!" 

"Lost  here  in  this  world  by  their  obstinacy,  must  they 
be  forever  lost  in  the  next?       You  cannot  understand 


128  PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE 

how  this  sorrowful  dread  haunts  me !  I  have  not  a 
minute's  peace.     I  would  do  anything  to  save  them." 

"You  have  every  grace,  every  charm.  God  has  in- 
spired your  immortal  soul  in  a  cell  which  reminds  one  of 
heaven." 

Thecla  forgot  that  her  hand  rested  in  that  of  Wallen- 
stein  and  fell  into  a  profound  reverie.  The  Duke  of 
Friedland  contemplated  her  in  admiration. 

"Ah,"  she  said  suddenly,  raising  her  head  languidly. 
"I  often  thought  that  if  the  light  of  our  holy  religion  il- 
lumined the  souls  of  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  and 
Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny,  they  would  listen  to  me." 

"You  have  a  holy  thought.  The  austere  silence  of  a 
convent  will  teach  submission  to  these  souls  troubled  and 
inspired  to  revolt  by  the  detestable  doctrines  of  the  Ref- 
ormation." 

"You  would  approve  me,  then,  my  dear  duke,  if,  with 
the  aim  of  restoring  them  to  the  faith,  I  should  place 
each  of  them  under  the  direction  of  a  holy  man  who  would 
remove  them  from  the  theatre  of  the  world?" 

"I  would  advise  you  to  such  action.  When  gentle- 
ness is  powerless,  when  softness  is  exhausted,  chastise- 
ment must  be  applied,  as  one  uses  iron  and  lire  to  root 
out  the  brambles  and  brushwood  of  a  field  to  make  way 
for  the  plough." 

"Shall  I  tell  you  all  my  fears?  I  feared  for  an  instant 
that  you  wished  to  ravish  them  from  my  anxious  affec- 
tion. Will  you  authorize  me  to  do  all  to  bring  them 
back  to  a  sense  of  their  duty?  Will  you  allow  me  to  di- 
rect them,  according  to  my  will,  along  the  paths  which 
shall  seem  to  me  the  safest  towards  the  goal  I  labor  to 
attain?" 

"As  you  will.     The  young  ladies  are  yours." 

"At  least  may  their  happiness  repay  me  for  the  pain 
they  have  cost  me!"  sighed  the  baroness  unctuously. 

This  conversation  summed  up  the  lot  which  she  had 
reserved  for  the  two  prisoners.  But  before  having  re- 
course to  the  rigors  of  a  monastery,  Madame  d'Igomer 
must  learn  whether  she  might  not  conquer  and  seduce 
these  proud  souls  by  the  fascinations  of  luxury,  the  en- 
ticements of  pleasure.     What  a  triumph  of  voluptuous- 


PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE  129 

ness  of  this  liate-corrodod  heart  if  her  rival  should  suc- 
cumb to  temptation,  if.  entwined  in  tlie  embrace  of  Count 
Pappenlieim  in  the  whirl  of  a  dazzling  ball,  Made- 
moiselle de  Pardaillan  should  betray  at  once  her  love  and 
her  faith !  Such  would  be  the  best  and  sweetest  ven- 
geance. She  must  first  corrupt  her,  then  strike.  The 
baroness  marveled  within  herself  that  she  had  not 
thought  of  this  sooner. 

Thenceforward  she  took  care  to  conduct  the  two 
cousins  to  all  the  entertainments  by  which  Wallenstein 
beguiled  his  inaction  and  displayed  the  magnificence  of 
his  court.  The  gowns  they  had  brought  with  them  were 
replaced  by  much  richer  apparel.  All  that  could  dazzle 
their  eyes  and  fascinate  their  young  hearts  was  lavished 
upon  them.  They  breathed  an  atmosphere  of  pleasure. 
Music,  the  dance,  the  hunt,  feasts  followed  one  another 
unceasingly  and  a  group  of  gallant  gentlemen,  gathered 
around  them,  kept  a  concert  of  flattery. 

Each  evening  Adrienne  and  Diana  returned  wearied 
and.  as  it  were,  stupid  with  excitement,  to  their  apart- 
ments. But  their  brave  souls  remained  untainted.  Their 
simple  honesty  ran  foul  of  every  trap.  After  an  even- 
ing in  the  tumultous,  brilliant  palace,  they  knelt  down 
humbly  and  prayed.  Then  all  stain  of  the  day  departed 
from  them.  The  schemes  of  Madame  d'Igomcr  were 
baffled. 

Thanks  to  the  connivance  of  his  accomplice,  Count 
Pappenlieim,  though  conquered  at  Leipzig,  could  com- 
municate at  liberty  with  Diana.  The  hour  for  hesitation 
had  passed.  The  Grand-Marshal  returned  from  the  bat- 
tle-field, his  soul  ulcerated  with  defeat.  He  had  seen  his 
own  cuirassiers  fall  under  the  blows  of  the  very  dragoons 
to  whom  he  had  surrendered  their  leaders.  He  had  seen 
the  Marquis  of  Chanfontaine  in  the  thick  of  the  fight.  He 
had  been  able  to  judge  tlie  weight  of  his  sword-arm.  He 
had  been  forced  to  retreat  in  the  mad  disarray  of  his  own 
troops.  Should  he,  therefore,  abandon  the  heiress,  who 
was  now  offered  to  him,  to  this  hated  enemy? 

"Never!"  cried  Count  PappenlK-im.  "He  defeated 
me.     'Tis  my  turn  to  defeat  him  and  have  my  revenge!" 

Rooted  in  this  new  resolve  he  balked  no  longer  at  any 


I30  PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE 

dial  reception.  The  innate  loyalty  of  Adrienne  repugned 
any  thought  of  treachery.  She  had  been  confided  to  the 
count  by  Armand-Louis  and  she  believed  the  German 
worthy  such  a  trust.  His  bearing  toward  her  reafBrmed 
her  in  full ;  but  what  was  her  amazement  when  Diana,  all 
terrified,  informed  her  one  day  of  a  conversation  she  had 
held  with  their  rescuer. 

"Ah,"  she  murmured,  "I  know  not  which  is  worse ;  the 
brutal  arrogance  of  John  of  Werth,  or  the  gallant  insid- 
iousness  of  Count  Pappenheim." 

"Tell  me,  what  is  wrong?"  asked  Adrienne,  anx- 
iously. 

"He  came  to  me  just  now.  I  gave  him  my  hand. 
Suddenly  he  threw  himself  at  my  feet.  I  was  so  as- 
tonished I  could  not  think.  He  declared  he  loved  me ; 
that  nothing  should  ever  kill  his  love  and  that  to  possess 
me  there  was  nothing  he  would  not  do.  Ah,  now  I 
know  that  it  is  no  longer  you  he  threatens,  but  myself. 
I  saw  all  clearly  in  the  ardor  of  his  speech.  'Tis  Mad- 
ame d'Igomer  who  has  knotted  this  plot.  She  has  sold 
us  to  John  of  Werth  and  to  Count  Pappenheim.  It  is  not 
an  abduction  as  at  Brandebourg;  it  is  imprisonment  in 
a  palace.     God  save  us  !" 

Several  things  helped  Adrienne  to  understand  that 
Diana  was  not  in  error.  She  saw  that  in  this  immense 
edifice,  apparently  all  devoted  to  pleasure,  the  most  dire 
slavery  awaited  them.  For  them  it  was  the  world's 
limits.  No  sound,  no  word,  no  memory  of  anything  that 
happened  beyond  the  six  porticos  where  the  guards  of 
Wallenstein  kept  watch  was  for  them.  Robed  in  lace- 
laden  silk,  bedizened  with  gold  and  silver,  strolling  under 
glittering  chandeliers,  they  were  still  slaves.  They  did 
not  know  whether  in  the  whole  world  anyone  remem- 
bered that  they  had  lived  in  it. 

At  a  ball  one  evening,  Madame  d'Igomer  approached 
Diana,  whom  for  some  time  she  had  affected  to  address 
as  the  Countess  of  Mummelsberg.  It  was  the  night  of 
a  great  celebration.  Seated  sadly  at  the  side  of  Adrienne, 
Diana  gazed  at,  without  seeing,  the  crowd  of  courtiers 
who  moved  to  and  fro  in  the  brilliant  halls. 

"What !"  exclaimed  the  baroness,  taking  Diana's  hand, 


PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE  131 

"not  a  jewel  on  this  pretty  arm,  dear  Countess  of  Mum- 
melsberg?     'Tis  a  treason  to  beauty!" 

Then  she  unlocked  a  jewel  of  rare  price  from  her  own 
arm. 

■'There,"  continued  the  baroness,  "is  a  bracelet  which 
Count  Pappenheim  presented  to  me.  He  will  thank  me 
for  having  perceived  that  upon  your  wrist,  paler  than 
marble,  it  will  shine  with  all  brilliance." 

Quick  as  lightning  Diana  tore  ofif  the  jewel  and  flung 
it  far  from  her. 

"I'll  have  naught  from  you  or  from  him,"  she  said. 

"Good!"  whispered  Adrienne,  pressing  her  cousin's 
hand. 

Despite  her  natural  self-control,  Madame  d'Igomer 
paled.  She  forgot  to  weep  and  straightening  up,  re- 
torted : 

"Though  you  will  accept  nothing  from  me,  I  am  re- 
signed, no  matter  at  what  cost  to  my  feelings.  But  that 
you  should  refuse  it  from  him  passes  my  understanding. 
Count  Pappenheim  will  return  to  Prague  in  a  few  days 
and  we  will  then  see  whether  the  Countess  of  iMummels- 
berg  will  dare  to  refuse  the  marriage  ring  which  he  will 
offer  her  at  the  foot  of  the  altar. 

It  was  as  if  a  bolt  from  heaven  had  fallen  upon  Diana. 

"A  marriage  ring?  Count  Pappenheim?"  she  gasped, 
brokenly. 

"At  present  we  await  a  courier  who  will  bring  the  con- 
sent of  the  Emperor,"  answered  Thecla.  "Be  ready, 
therefore,  for  this  ceremony." 

At  this  juncture  the  Papal  Delegate,  who  had  been 
sent  into  Germany  to  combat  heresies  and  strengthen  the 
Catholic  faith  in  faint  hearts,  appeared  in  the  gallery. 
He  was  a  Prince  of  the  Church,  famed  for  a  devout  and 
noble  character.  Breaking  of  a  sudden  through  the 
gr<nip  that  surrounded  her,  Diana  of  Pardaillan  threw 
herself  at  his  feet,  crying: 

"My  lord,  you  are  the  refuge  of  the  weak  and  the  de- 
fender of  the  down-trodden.  I  come  to  you.  Have  pity 
on  me !" 

"Daughter,  stand  up,"  said  the  prelate. 

"Not  until  you  have  heard  me.      You  who  represent 


132  PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE 

Christ  on  earth,  will  you  permit  a  minister  of  the  Gospel 
to  bless  a  marriage  into  which  they  wish  to  force  me  and 
which  I  hate.  Tell  me,  my  Lord,  will  yon  allow  Catholic 
altars  to  be  desecrated  by  such  a  sacrilege?  I  was 
brought  up  in  the  reformed  faith.  If  it  be  wrong,  let 
the  apostles  of  truth  convert  me,  but  without  violence  or 
subterfuge.  By  my  mother's  descent  I  am  Countess  of 
Mummelsberg.  I  own  ten  villages  and  twenty  castles. 
They  may  sequester  them.  I  do  not  complain ;  but  they 
cannot  erase  from  my  'scutcheon  the  arms  of  my  ances- 
tors. In  heart  and  desire  I  am  promised  in  mariage  to 
a  French  Catholic  gentleman,  who  is  fighting  for  Swe- 
den, the  ally  of  his  country.  I  claim  the  privileges  of  my 
birth  and  my  rank,  the  right  to  dispose  of  my  hand  ac- 
cording to  my  will.  I  entreat  your  pity,  my  lord.  Look 
you  that  I  never  see  the  day  when  I  awaken  as  Countess 
of  Pappenheim  because  it  has  pleased  an  impious  ser- 
vant of  the  God  of  Mercy  to  unite  me,  in  despite  of  my 
tears  and  of  my  cries,  to  a  man  I  do  not  love !" 

"In  the  name  of  him  who  has  power  to  bind  and  un- 
bind," said  the  Papal  Delegate,  extending  his  hand  to 
Diana,  "and  who  has  invested  me  with  a  part  of  his  au- 
thority, I  condemn  and  curse  the  unworthy  priest  who 
would  do  violence  to  this  woman.  Stand  up,  my  child, 
and  fear  not.  I  am  but  passing  through  the  city,  but  my 
brother.  Archbishop  of  Prague,  will  watch  over  you. 
Let  all  who  hear  me  now,  remember;  the  Countess  of 
Mummelsberg  is  under  the  protection  of  the  Church !" 

The  Cardinal  went  on  his  way  slowly,  blessing  the  peo- 
ple with  his  right  hand  as  they  knelt  before  him.  Mad- 
ame d'Igomer  said  nothing;  she  had  recovered  her  com- 
posure. As  soon  as  her  glance  met  Diana's,  she  mut- 
tered : 

"Yours,  the  victory  now.  But  all  things  pass  away 
with  time,  even  delegates !" 

Then  noticing  that  everybody  was  scanning  her,  she 
smiled  quickly  and  offered  her  arm  to  Diana,  with : 

"You  are  a  bit  feverish,  my  child.  You  had  best  re- 
tire." 

The  two  cousins  went  to  their  apartments,  not  soon  to 
quit  them.     Hours,  days,  weeks  glided  by.       No  one 


PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE  133 

visited  them  ;  no  one  addressed  thcni.  The  silence  of  the 
cloister  followed  upon  the  noisy  merry-makings  in  the 
palace.  One  nu.Qht  fancy  that  the  service  was  done  by 
shadows.  But  the  tortured  souls  of  the  prisoners  found 
a  balm  almost  in  the  solitude.  No  odious  visage  of- 
fended their  sight ;  no  hypocritical  smiles  seared  their 
hearts,  no  hateful  words  wearied  their  ears. 

"How  unliappy  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  must  be," 
they  thought  frequently.  "They  are  seeking  us  without 
hope." 

Sitting  at  the  window  they  watched  the  flight  of  the 
birds  and  the  clouds.  Some  of  them  went  north.  Why 
had  they  not  the  wings  of  birds !  Why  might  they  not 
sail  away  on  the  clouds ! 

But  while  they  were  buried  far  from  the  world  in  the 
palace  of  Prague,  various  grave  developments  of  war, 
confirming  the  prophecy  of  Madame  d'Igomer,  were 
about  to  summon  Field-Marshal  Wallenstein  back  to 
theatre  of  battles.  After  Count  Tilly's  disaster  on  the 
plains  of  Leipzig,  on  September  7th,  163 1,  a  second  de- 
feat cost  him  his  life  at  the  passage  of  the  Lechs,  which 
he  had  defended  in  vain.  The  star  of  Gustavus  Adolphu' 
was  in  the  ascendant  and  the  humbled  arms  of  the  House 
of  Austria  recalled  at  last  the  devotion  and  the  reputa- 
tion of  the  exiled  general. 

Madame  d'Igomer  had  been  from  the  first  informed  of 
the  secret  negotiations  between  Ferdinand,  terrified  by 
the  enemy  at  every  outpost,  and  the  Duke  of  Friedland, 
who  was  entreated  to  take  in  hand  the  cause  of  Ger- 
many and  to  leave  the  retreat  of  his  Titanic  pride. 

When  she  was  consulted  by  him,  Madame  d'Igomer 
easily  divined  the  counsel  he  expected  from  her. 

"Ah,"  she  said,  mingling  a  trick  of  sadness  and  en- 
thusiasm in  her  tones,  "I  will  forget  myself  and  remem- 
ber only  you  !  An  empire  hangs  on  the  brink  of  ruin, 
an  implacable  enemy  stands  over  it,  threatening  with  a 
final  exterminating  stroke.  Should  you,  in  a  jusl, 
though  excessive  resentment,  refuse  it  your  stout  sword 
and  thus  precipitate  it  into  the  abyss?  You  alone  are 
left  to  fight  against  Gustavus  Adolphus.  ^'cju  are  the 
stronghold  of  the  empire,  the  defender  of  the  Catholic 


'134  PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE 

world.  Think  not  of  my  anguish,  but  arise.  Shall  not 
all  the  conditions  it  may  please  you  to  dictate,  be  ac- 
cepted? lyO,  soldiers,  captains,  generals  call  upon  you 
and  have  no  hope  save  in  you!  They  cry  in  acclaim 
upon  you  and  stretch  their  swords  to  you,  impatient  to 
avenge  the  insult  done  the  German  flag.  Princes,  elec- 
tors, kings  intrust  to  you  their  people  and  their  crowns. 
No,  on  the  day  you  leave  this  palace  I  shall  weep  alone. 
All  Germany  will  shout  for  joy.  They  will  behold  vic- 
tory in  you  and  an  immense  escort  of  courtiers  and  gen- 
tlemen will  attend  you  to  the  frontiers  insulted  by  the 
Swedes.  Hesitate  no  longer.  Be  gone,  my  lord,  rejoin 
the  few  troops  with  which  Pappenheim  still  holds  his 
ground.  To-morrow  'twill  be  an  army  and  let  astounded 
Europe  see  that  if  he  is  the  Soldier,  you  are  the  Gen- 
eral !" 

"Ah,  Thecla !"  cried  Wallenstein,  "you  alone  love  me." 

Then  he  gave  orders  that  all  preparations  for  his  de- 
parture be  set  forward  with  dispatch. 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  that  saw  him  re-enter  the 
lists,  Madame  d'Igomer  asked  permission  to  restore  to 
the  two  prisoners  some  of  their  liberty  . 

"They  braved  you,  almost  insulted  you,"  he  said 
frowning. 

"It  is  true,"  she  replied,  "but  some  slight  tokens  make 
me  believe  that  their  hearts  are  opening  to  better  feel- 
ings. You  know  I  am  obstinate  in  my  affections.  To 
remain  at  Prague  has  become  odious  to  me  since  I  know 
you  must  depart.  The  hours  I  cannot  consecrate  to  you 
(alas,  the  heart  of  a  hero  belongs  to  his  army,  rather  than 
to  her  who  loves  him),  I  shall  endure  far  from  the  noise 
of  courts.  But  into  this  retreat  where  I  shall  live  with 
your  memory,  suffer  that  I  take  with  me  the  Countess  of 
Mummelsberg  and  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny.  I  have 
a  hope  that  the  hour  of  repentance  will  soon  strike  for 
them." 

Wallenstein  could  not  resist  the  tones  of  his  enchant- 
ress and  on  the  day  that  the  conqueror  of  Tilly  learned 
that  he  was  to  combat  a  man  who  had  never  met  de- 
feat, a  page  entered  the  apartment  of  the  two  cousins  and 
announced  to  them  that  a  carriage  awaited  them  in  the 


PRISONERS    IN  A  PALACE  135 

courtyard  of  the  palace.  They  followed  him  unresist- 
ing-ly.  A  few  minutes  later  their  carriage  passed  out  of 
Prague. 

Looking  out  at  the  sides  of  the  curtains  they  discov- 
ered a  dozen  cavaliers  riding  at  arms  with  them.  They 
advanced  swiftly. 

Madame  d'Igomer,  who  had  not  seen  them  at  their 
leaving,  did  not  appear  during  their  journey. 

Two  days  after  their  exit  from  Wallenstein's  palace, 
which  they  did  not  at  all  regret,  the  two  cousins,  having 
seen  many  hills  and  forests  disappear  behind  their  car- 
riage, halted  at  twilight  in  the  yard  of  a  great  castle, 
which  towered  upon  the  knob  of  a  mountain. 

"I  wonder  where  we  may  be,"  said  Adrienne,  meas- 
uring with  a  glance  the  high  walls  which  surrounded 
them. 

"You  arc  at  Drachenfeld  Castle,  my  home,"  replied 
Madame  d'Igomer.  appearing  upon  the  threshold,  "and 
you  behold  me  all  happiness  to  receive  you." 

"Then,  madame,"  replied  Diana,  "the  happiness  is  all 
your  own." 


136  DRACHENFELD  CASTLE 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

DRACHENFELD  CASTLE; 

Drachenfeld  Castle,  where  new  dangers  lay  in  wait  for 
Adrienne  and  Diana,  had  at  once  the  aspect  of  a  citadel 
and  of  a  convent.  There  were  galleries  and  ball  rooms 
as  in  a  palace;  a  donjon  fit  for  a  stronghold;  a  chapel 
with  cloister  and  cells  as  in  a  monastery.  That  all  might 
be  in  harmony  in  this  singular  habitation,  one  might 
meet  at  random  in  its  chambers  men  armed  with 
sword  and  musket,  pages  robed  in  satin  and  velvet, 
beautiful  women  plying  fans  or  playing  the  lute,  almoners 
absorbed  in  pious  meditation. 

Within  a  month's  time  the  two  cousins  had  become 
acquainted  with  life  as  it  was  at  Drachenfeld.  The  evening 
was  given  up  to  the  dance  and  to  various  entertainments, 
in  the  devising  of  which  Madame  d'lgomer  showed  re- 
markable invention.  The  morning  was  devoted  to  exer- 
cises of  prayer.  If  the  afternoon  were  clear  they  went 
boating  on  beautiful  lakes  or  walked  along  broad  ave- 
nues through  the  forest.  There  was  the  hunt  also.  But 
if  it  rained  they  went  to  some  chapel  to  behold  a  good 
monk  surrender  himself  to  the  fervor  of  a  religious  ex- 
hortation. At  times,  and  when  Madame  d'lgomer  had 
slept  ill,  the  sermon  was  replaced  by  music. 

It  did  not  seem  as  though  the  inconsolable  Thecla  re- 
gretted Wallenstein  very  much.  She  did  not  lose  much 
of  her  time  in  repining.  Perhaps  ber  sojourn  in  the 
country  was  accountable  for  this. 

To  a  Franciscan  father  was  entrusted  the  charge  of 
extirpating  the  abominable  roots  of  heresy  from  the  souls 
of  the  two  cousins.  He  persecuted  them  most 
religiously. 

The  management  of  the  castle  devolved  upon  a  thin, 
lemon-hued,  ghastly  gallows-dog  of  a  fellow.  Diana 
shivered  the  first  time  she  saw  him.     She  kept  the  im- 


DRACHENFELD  CASTLE  137 

pression  of  this  sinister  profile  stored  in  a  corner  of  her 
memory. 

When  she  lieard  the  name  of  Mattheus  Orlscopp  pro- 
nounced, slie  was  frozen  with  terror. 

"  'Tis  the  terrible  man  from  liergheim,"  she  cried. 

In  truth  it  was  ^Nlattheus  Orlscopp,  who,  after  his  de- 
feat at  Ravennest  Castle,  had  come  to  Drachenfeld  for 
his  revenge.  The  men  had  escaped  him,  but  the  women 
were  left.  He  had  really  a  double  offense  to  avenge, 
and  Madame  d'Igomer  might  well  count  on  his  devotion. 

It  will  be  remembered  tliat,  thanks  to  the  precautions 
of  Carquefou,  Mattheus  Orlscopp  had  hung  for  some 
time  on  the  hook  that  had  been  Renaud's  torture  in  the 
green  room  at  Ravennest.  ^lattheus  had  been  released 
only  a  few  hours  after  the  departure  of  the  fugitives.  The 
guard  whose  duty  it  was  to  bear  the  starveling  nourish- 
ment to  the  captive,  found  the  master  of  Ravennest, 
pallid,  frozen,  mad  with  rage  and  pain.  Once  cut  down 
he  did  not  lose  time  in  attempting  to  catch  up  with  the 
cavaliers,  who  had  a  full  day's  advance  upon  him.  He 
hurried  away  to  tell  all  to  John  of  W'erth. 

The  explosion  of  his  hatred  and  fury  was  such  that 
John  of  W'erth  understood  at  once  that  he  had  some 
mettle  in  him.  Far  from  reprehending  him,  he  con- 
gratulated him  on  his  escape  and  sent  him  to  his  ac- 
complice, Madame  d'Igomer,  with  a  letter,  which  con- 
tained only  these  words : 

"Here's  a  scoundrel  I  can  recommend  to  you." 

No  more  was  necessary  to  induce  the  baroness  to  en- 
gage Mattheus  Orlscopp.  When  he  found  it  to  his  in- 
terest, Mattheus  could  exhibit  a  terrible  candor.  He  con- 
cealed none  of  the  circumstances  from  Madame  d'Igomer 
of  the  events  v.hich  had  brought  him  into  Renaud's  life 
at  Bergheim  and  at  Ravennest.  What  he  had  just  done, 
far  from  revolting  the  baroness,  gave  her  an  idea  of  what 
she  might  expect  from  such  a  man  on  occasion. 

Their  hates  were  friends  from  the  first  bound.  As  soon 
as  Wallcnstein's  departure  to  join  the  imperial  army  was 
decided,  she  determined  to  leave  Prague  for  Drachenfeld 
and  to  confide  the  command  of  the  castle  to  Mattheus 
Orlscopp. 


138  DRACHENFELD  CASTLE 

Mistress  now  of  Diana  and  Adrienne,  at  Drachenfeld, 
she  was  like  the  hunter  who  keeps  a  pretty  decoy  bird  in 
a  cage  waiting  for  the  partridges  to  come  and  be  killed. 
In  this  instance  the  partridges  were  Armand-Louis  and 
Renaud.  She  was  sure  that  none  could  keep  a  better 
guard  over  this  cage  than  Mattheus  Orlscopp. 

A  hideous  smile  rendered  the  face  of  Mattheus  still 
more  friglitful  when  he  took  the  keys  of  the  castle. 

"The  idiots !"  he  murmured ;  "they  had  me  in  their 
hands  and  they  allowed  me  to  live !"  He  suddenly 
stamped  his  foot  with  force.  "But  I  made  the  same  mis- 
take.   The  next  time  I'll  profit  by  experience." 

In  the  first  days  of  his  installation  at  Drachenfeld,  Mat- 
theus called  Madame  d'Igomer  to  one  side. 

"My  duty  is  to  speak  plainly  to  you,"  he  said.  "Per- 
mit me,  my  lady,  to  sound  the  depth  of  things.  It  is  quite 
true  that  you  do  not  love  the  Countess  of  Mummels- 
berg?" 

"Oh,  no,"  murmured  Thecla. 

"But  there  is  some  one  else  towards  whom  your  feel- 
lings  are  even  stronger.  I  mean  Renaud  de  Chaufon- 
taine.    Am  I  correct?" 

"You  are." 

"Why  do  you  persist,  then,  in  keeping  Mademoiselle 
de  Pardaillan  hidden  like  a  light  in  a  bushel?  Why  do 
you  not  proclaim,  by  trumpet  call,  if  need  be,  that  she 
is  at  Drachenfeld  and  that  she  is  your  prisoner?" 

"He  would  fiy  hither." 

"That  is  not  the  only  thing.  If  he  comes,  he  will  not 
come  alone.  And  at  one  swoop  the  Baroness  d'Igomer, 
John  of  Werth  and  Mattheus  Orlscopp,  their  unworthy 
servitor,  will  be  avenged.  To  accomplish  this  miracle  it 
will  be  enough  that  Armand  de  la  Guerche  and  Renaud 
de  Chaufontaine  show  themselves  within  musket  range  of 
the  castle." 

The  look  which  Mattheus  threw  at  Madame  d'Igomer 
made  her  shudder. 

"Ah,"  she  said,  "you  are  a  terrible  man." 

"No,  madame,  I  am  a  logical  man ;  and  I  strive  above 
all  to  merit  the  good  opinion  which  my  lord,  John  of 
Werth,  entertains  of  my  humble  self." 


DRACHENFELD  CASTLE  139 

"Do  as  you  will,"  said  Thecla.  "You  have  my  full  per- 
mission." 

"Then  I  will  answer  for  everything," 

At  times  Madame  d'Igomcr  was  absent  for  several 
days.  On  these  occasions  she  went  to  the  imperial  camp 
in  great  mystery.  No  one  knew  of  this  save  IMattheus, 
who  remained  absolute  master  of  the  castle.  He  had 
spies  throug-hout  the  country  for  ten  leagues  around, 
beating  up  all  the  roads  and  returning  to  him  with  re- 
ports of  what  they  had  learned.  They  had  orders  to 
spread  the  names  of  the  two  prisoners  broadcast,  so  that 
it  might  soon  be  a  secret  to  no  one.  Something  in  this 
way  should  reach  the  ears  of  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud, 
and  attract  them" to  the  shadow  of  the  towers  of  Drachen- 
feld.    This  was  what  Mattheus  hoped  for. 

The  departure  of  the  baroness  discontinued  all  amuse- 
ments ;  no  more  dancing,  almost  no  music,  but  sermons 
in  abundance,  pious  prayers  and  conferences,  during 
which  the  Franciscan  endeavored  to  convert  his  flock. 
After  long  days  of  controversy,  if  he  had  gained  nothing, 
the  worthy  monk  would  cross  his  arms  on  his  big  paunch, 
saying : 

"The  devil  still  holds ;  but  I  shall  do  so  much  that  in 
the  end  I  shall  have  exorcised  him." 

Then  still  rolling  on  his  short  legs,  still  smiling  and 
casting  benedictions,  he  proceeded  with  his  preachments. 

As  yet  there  was  no  news  of  Armand-Louis  or  Renaud. 

In  tiie  absence  of  Madame  d'Igomer,  there  was.  a  kind 
of  domestic  guardian  within  the  castle,  in  the  person  of  a 
ceremonious  and  formal  dame,  who  had  the  figure  of  a 
musketeer,  yellow  hair,  sickly  eyes,  a  square  head  and  the 
legs  of  an  ostrich.  Her  aim  in  life  was  to  embarrass  the 
existence  of  others  with  a  thousand  little  difficulties. 
With  her  each  hour  had  its  destined  purpose,  which  no 
human  power  or  event  could  influence  her  to  change. 
Madame  de  T  JfTenbach  had  but  one  dogma,  the  rule ;  and 
one  faith,  etiquette.  She  always  spoke  in  a  voice  low 
and  soft  as  a  sighing  wind.  But  this  apparent  sweetness 
concealed  the  stubbornness  of  a  mule.  Nothing  escaped 
her.  Her  long  legs  took  her  everywhere,  and  licr  eyes, 
a  blurred  blue  in  color,  shot  glances  of  a  lynx. 


140  DRACHENFEIvD  CASTLE 

Adrienne  and  Diana  were  placed  under  her  special 
care.  Madame  de  Liffenbach  did  not  allow  them  a  min- 
ute's peace.  Only  at  night  could  they  converse  freely; 
and  even  then  not  easily,  for  their  rooms  were  separated 
by  a  gallery.  As  long  as  day  lasted  the  old  woman,  robed 
in  an  old-fashioned  gown,  instructed  them  in  the  degrees 
of  respect  to  be  shown  to  different  persons  of  the  court, 
according  to  the  rank  they  occupied.  She  varied  the 
subject  by  little  discourses  on  the  etiquette  in  vogue  in 
the  Capital  of  the  Electorate  of  Bavaria,  and  exhortations 
on  perfections  of  grace  and  the  merits  of  penance.  By 
crafty  turnings,  she  took  text  from  these  conferences  to 
insinuate  that  Baron  John  of  Werth  and  Count  Pappen- 
heim  would  make  their  happiness  in  this  world,  and  as- 
sure their  salvation  in  the  next. 

"Always  the  same  tune,"  murmured  Diana,  who  was 
not  listening. 

"And  the  same  words,"  added  Adrienne. 

One  of  the  pretensions  of  Madame  de  LifTenbach  was 
to  make  Diana  and  Adrienne  believe  that  they  were  in 
no  sense  prisoners.  Captives?  By  no  means.  Who 
could  have  noised  so  calumnious  a  report  obroad  ?  Had 
they  not  full  liberty  to  walk  in  the  castle  gardens?  To 
pluck  fruits  there  and  eat  them  ?  Were  they  not  seen 
in  the  state  halls  on  concert  days,  and  in  ball  attire  on 
evenings  when  there  was  dancing?  If  it  was  required  of 
them  to  be  attended  by  grave  and  silent  persons,  was  it 
proper  for  young  ladies  of  quality  to  promenade  alone? 
If  they  were  not  allowed  to  leave  the  grounds  of  Drachen- 
feld,  the  reason  was  that  all  sorts  of  disreputable  folks 
were  abroad  in  the  country.  All  that  was  done  was 
prompted  by  the  single  purpose  to  secure  their  care  and 
comfort  in  this  asylum  of  virtue. 

When  Madame  d'Igomer  returned  to  Drachenfeld 
things  took  another  turn.  The  young  gentlemen  saw 
the  great  doors  of  the  castle  open  to  them,  and  more 
than  one  leaned  gallantly  on  the  chair  of  the  charming 
Thecla,  while  the  viol,  the  theorbo  and  the  lute  filled  the 
apartment  with  melody.  Meanwhile  Adrienne  and  Diana 
lost  neither  the  Franciscan's  sermons  nor  Madame  de 
Lififenbach's  visits. 


DRACHENFELD  CASTTE  141 

As  time  flowed  the  color  of  health  gradually  vanished 
from  the  fair  faces  of  the  two  cousins.  Days  followed 
days,  weeks  followed  weeks.  Spring-  had  passed.  Sum- 
mer was  at  tiic  height.  The  prisoners  were  no  longer 
heard  to  laugh  or  sing.  When  they  conversed  they  dared 
not  confide  to  each  other  their  dread ;  and  when  in  the 
morning  they  kissed  each  other,  after  a  long  tearful  night, 
they  spoke  of  the  reposeful  sleep  they  had  enjoyed. 

They  could  not  banish  the  thought  that  Armand-Louis 
and  Renaud  were  still  trying  to  liberate  them.  Diana 
had  learned  from  Adrienne  the  nature  of  Mattheus,  and 
fearing  that  the  permission  they  had  to  write  to  the 
Marquis  of  Pardaillan  was  a  snare,  they  never  told  all. 

In  the  interim,  a  truce,  as  is  often  met  with  in  the 
history  of  old  wars,  had  stopped  hostilities  between  the 
Ijelligerent  arms  for  some  days.  There  had  been  no 
cessation  of  fighting  since  Leipzig.  How  many  brave 
officers  would  never  again  respond  to  the  clarion  call ! 
How  many  soldiers  lay  hurriedly  buried  under  a  hand- 
ful of  earth.  Nobody  knew  how  or  when  this  war,  be- 
gun so  many  years  ago,  would  terminate.  Religious 
fanaticism  conmiingled  with  political  interests  had  kept 
it  alive.  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  had  had  their  share 
of  the  common  glory  and  danger ;  but  they  considered  all 
days  lost  which  did  not  engage  them  in  the  rescue  of  their 
loves.  Until  now  all  their  attempts  had  been  fruitless,  or, 
what  amounted  to  it,  interrupted  by  the  imperious  neces- 
sities of  war.  The  intervals  between  sieges  and  struggles 
were  too  brief  to  permit  them  to  undertake  an  expedition 
into  the  heart  of  the  provinces  occupied  by  the  enemy. 

Yet  they  neglected  nothing;  but  they  had  learned 
nothing.  None  of  the  dangerous  sorties  they  had  made 
right  and  left  from  day  to  day  had  afforded  them  the  in- 
formation as  to  which  city  or  fortress  held  within  its  walls 
the  fair  women  for  whom  they  were  ready  to  shed  every 
drop  of  their  blood. 

At  the  first  rumor  in  camp  of  the  armistice  concluded 
with  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Imperial  troops, 
hope  was  reborn  in  the  hearts  of  the  two  brothers  at 
arms.    They  presented  themselves  to  Gustavus  Adolphus 


142  DRACHENFELD  CASTIvE 

at  once  and  asked  him  as  a  favor  to  send  them  to  Wallen- 
stein  to  negotiate  the  exchange  of  prisoners. 

"We  have  known  for  some  httle  time,"  said  Armand- 
Louis,  "by  a  letter  addressed  to  an  old  companion  in 
arms,  the  Marquis  of  Pardaillan,  that  the  two  captives 
have  been  taken  to  Prague,  at  the  palace  of  the  Duke  of 
Friedland.  It  is  perhaps  our  only  chance  to  see  Made- 
moiselle de  Souvigny  and  her  cousin.  Perhaps  we  may 
learn  at  what  cost  we  can  regain  them." 

Without  replying,  the  king  wrote  and  signed  a  dis- 
patch, in  which  he  endowed  Armand-Louis  wdth  the 
power  of  plenipotentiary. 

"Depart,"  he  said,  embracing  him,  "and  that  with  all 
speed.  My  conscience  would  reproach  me  for  every  min- 
ute I  caused  you  to  lose," 

Nevertheless  neither  Armand-Louis  nor  Renaud 
wished  to  set  out  without  having  seen  the  Marquis  of 
Pardaillan. 

"You  have  permitted  us  to  devote  our  lives  to  the  wel- 
fare of  your  two  daughters,"  said  Armand-Louis.  "God 
gave  them  to  us ;  He  has  retaken  them.  We  shall  have 
neither  truce  nor  rest  until  we  have  recovered  them." 

"Ah,  if  it  were  not  for  you,"  said  the  old  nobleman, 
taking  them  in  his  arms,  "how  far  hope  should  be  from 
my  heart." 

Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  communicated  their  pur- 
pose to  him. 

"The  Duke  of  Friedland  is  at  Nuremberg,"  said  Ar- 
mand-Louis, "we  shall  go  to  Nuremberg." 

"And  if  my  daughters,  if  Adrienne,  be  not  there?  If 
he  refuses  to  give  them  up  to  you  ?" 

"When  diplomacy  dies,"  exclaimed  Renaud,  "we  cfy 
'Long  live  the  sword!'  " 

"Ah,"  murmured  the  old  marquis  as  the  tears  streamed 
down  his  cheeks,  "the  sword  has  proved  treacherous  to 
me  and  to  you !" 

"God  above  sees  and  judges  us,"  replied  Renaud.  "Be 
of  good  hope.  I  promise  you  that  as  long  as  a  heart 
beats  in  my  bosom,  as  long  as  my  hand  can  bear  a  sword, 
this  heart  and  sword  are  consecrated  to  the  liberation  of 
Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan." 


DRACHEXFELD  CASTLE  143 

"Bring  back  my  dauglilor,"  said  the  venerable  old  man, 
touched  by  Renaud's  ardor,  "and  you  will  be  received  by 
a  father." 

These  words  flooded  Renaud's  heart  with  an  immense 
joy.  He  felt  as  though  the  glorious  fire  which  had  ani- 
mated the  souls  of  his  ancient  heroes,  the  Rolands,  Ga- 
laors,  Cids  and  Tancreds,  was  enkindled  in  his  veins. 
Nothing  seemed  impossible  to  him  now.  He  kissed  the 
hand  of  the  Martinis  of  Pardaillan  and  said: 

"If  your  daughter  be  not  restored  to  you,"  he  cried,  "it 
is  because  I  am  dead." 


144  PROPOSITIONS  AND  PROVOCATIONS 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

PROPOSITIONS  AND  PROVOCATIONS. 

An  hour  after  this  short  interview,  Armand-Louis 
and  Renaud,  followed  by  Magnus,  Carquefou  and  Rudi- 
ger,  were  on  the  road  to  Nuremberg.  They  were  not 
long  in  reaching  the  Imperial  camp,  where  a  trumpet  an- 
nounced their  arrival. 

The  Duke  of  Friedland  had  taken  residence  in  the  most 
vast  castle  in  the  vicinity  of  Nuremberg.  The  same  lux- 
ury which  astonished  Germany  in  his  palace  at  Prague, 
surrounded  him  in  this  stopping  place  whence  the  can- 
non's roar  could  not  be  long  in  summoning  him.  In  the 
antechambers  and  court  yards  the  same  gilded  crowd  of 
pages,  equerries  and  chamberlains  was  to  be  seen  ;  guards, 
dressed  in  the  colors  of  the  house,  were  stationed  at  the 
doors.  A  very  people  of  lackeys  ran  hither  and  thither. 
He  kept  open  house.  Hundreds  of  officers,  from  all  parts 
of  Germany,  were  enrolled  under  his  standard,  attracted 
at  once  by  the  splendor  of  his  name  and  his  magnificent 
bounties.  His  army  increased  like  a  ball  rolled  in  the 
snow.  Tents  stretched  away  in  the  plain.  Every  soldier 
who  had  survived  the  disasters  of  Torquato  Conti  and 
Count  Tilly  rejoined  him.  Provinces  lately  impoverished 
furnished  him  with  men  and  money. 

There  were  neither  entertainments  nor  pleasures  now. 
He  had  kept  naught  of  his  former  habits  but  the  pag- 
eantry which  astounded  and  that  superb  pride  which  made 
him  the  equal  of  princes.  Discipline  had  returned  and 
with  it  confidence.  He  hurried  naught  and  left  naught  to 
chance.  The  best  generals  had  rallied  about  him.  Among 
them  was  Count  Pappenheim,  who,  covered  with  blood 
like  a  lion  fresh  from  his  prey,  reorganized  in  Wallen- 
stein's  camp  what  was  left  of  his  Walloon  bands  and  his 
unconquerable  cavalry. 

While  awaiting  the  hour  for  fight  he  had  long  consul- 


PROPOSITIONS  AND  PROVOCATIONS  145 

tations  with  the  chief  of  the  army.  John  of  Worth  on  his 
side  enHsted  in  regiments  the  flood  of  adventurers  which 
the  bait  of  new  battles  and  the  hope  of  phmder  urged 
toward  Nuremberg.  They  came  from  Spain,  Hungary, 
Poland  and  Italy.  They  all  felt  that  the  time  was  preg- 
nant with  great  events.  The  heart  of  Catholic  Germany 
was  beating  at  Nuremberg. 

Europe's  attentive  eye  watched  anxiously  the  manoeu- 
vres of  the  two  famous  adversaries,  who,  before  measur- 
ing their  strength,  prepared  themselves  with  an  excess  of 
precaution.  Each  had  a  wonderful  prestige  to  maintain. 
Each  had  to  meet  like  chances  in  the  uncertainty  of  the 
strife. 

When  Armand-Louis  entered  the  Imperial  camp  a 
man  was  in  conference  with  the  general  and  was  marking 
different  points  on  a  chart  with  his  finger.  It  was  suf- 
ficient to  have  but  barely  seen  him  either  in  the  thick  of 
the  battle  or  the  brilliance  of  a  ball  to  recognize  Francis- 
Albert,  Duke  of  Lauenburg. 

"Then,"  said  the  Duke  of  Friedland,  "you  are  certain 
that  eight  thousand  men,  led  by  the  queen,  are  on  the 
march  to  the  camp  of  Gustavus  Adolphus?" 

"I  was  leaving  the  king's  tent  when  the  courier  of  the 
queen  arrived  with  the  news,"  replied  Francis-Albert. 

"These  men  may  be  still  on  the  shores  of  the  Baltic 
Sea?" 

"No,  my  lord ;  scarcely  a  few  days  separate  them  from 
your  camp.  They  are  Finlanders.  Upsalanders,  in  a 
word,  Swedes,  the  bravest  troops  you  ever  met  on  the 
field  of  battle.  What  is  more,  tlic  corps  commanded  by 
General  Banner  and  Duke  Bernard  of  Saxe-Weimar  have 
left  their  cantonments.  Make  haste  before  these  impor- 
tant reinforcements  have  given  your  adversary  the  ad- 
vantage in  numbers." 

"But  am  I  not  waiting  the  Lorraines  of  Duke  Charles, 
the  Spaniards  garrisoned  on  the  Rhine,  the  Bavarian  rce^- 
imcnts  of  the  Elector  Maximilian,  the  Cossacks  of  King 
Sigismund?  Why  should  I  make  haste?  Strong  as  the 
king  may  be,  I  shall  be  his  match,  and  I  promise  you  to 
annihilate  him  at  the  first  stroke!" 

"God  aid  vou  in  this  noble  resolve!     No  one  in  the 


146  PROPOSITIONS  AND  PROVOCATIONS 

Catholic  world,  saved  by  your  army,  will  be  happier  for  it 
than  he  who  speaks  to  you.  But  France  may  come  into 
the  lists.  Even  now  her  arms  approach  Alsace ;  you  may 
then  regret  that  you  did  not  destroy  the  audacious  King 
of  Sweden." 

"France  is  afar  oflf,  Gustavus  Adolphus  is  near.  If  any 
menace  springs  up  in  the  west,  the  battle  which  will  dis- 
embarras  me  of  this  enemy  will  soon  be  fought.  You, 
Lord  Lauenburg,  will  return  promptly  to  the  king  and 
fail  not  to  inform  me  in  case  anything  important  should 
arise." 

"What  I  have  done,  I  shall  do  always,"  replied  Francis- 
Albert,  bowing. 

He  raised  a  heavy  arras  which  hung  in  the  corner  of 
the  room  and  disappeared  behind  its  folds.  A  man  was 
waiting  for  him  at  the  door  of  the  palace. 

"Are  the  horses  ready?"  asked  the  duke. 

"The  horses?"  said  Captain  Jacobus  in  a  growling 
tone.  "Two  men  have  just  reached  camp — the  Count  of 
La  Guerche  and  Renaud  of  Chaufontaine.  I'm  not  going 
away  now." 

The  duke  hesitated. 

"Listen,"  continued  the  veteran  captain,  "the  truce  sus- 
pends hostilities,  but  I  have  an  old  debt  to  pay,  and  I'm 
a  good  debtor.    To-day  the  whelps,  afterward  the  wolf." 

"Then  we'll  not  go,"  said  Francis-Albert. 

Madame  d'Igomer  was  at  Nuremberg  with  the  Duke 
of  Friedland.  She  was  at  once  informed  of  the  arrival  of 
Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  by  a  dispatch  from  John  of 
Werth.  She  did  not  wish  them  to  have  a  conference 
with  Wallenstein  during  her  absence.  She  felt  that  the 
struggle  begun  at  St.  Wast  and  continued  by  the  terrible 
episodes  of  St.  Rupert's,  Magdebourg  and  Ravennest, 
was  about  to  assume  a  new  phase. 

"These  are  the  two  adventurers  of  whom  I  spoke  to 
you,"  she  said  negligently  to  Wallenstein.  "Hunters  fol- 
low the  deer's  trail,  but  it  has  pleased  His  Majesty,  the 
King  of  Sweden,  to  invest  them  with  the  solemn  ofifice 
of  ambassadors.  Honor  them  by  receiving  them  in  pres- 
ence of  all  your  officers." 

This  desire  of  Madame  d'Igomer  was  accomplished 


PROPOSITIONS  AND   PROVOCATIONS  I47 

At  noon  on  the  morrow  two  officers  escorted  Armand- 
Louis  and  Renaud  to  the  palace.  Chamberlains,  equer- 
ries and  pages  crowded  the  antechambers  and  the  grand 
stair  way.  The  envo}s  of  Gustavus  Adolphns  walked  be- 
tween two  lines  of  musketeers.  A  double  door  swung 
wide  admitting  them  to  a  hall  thronged  with  gentlemen. 

Quite  at  the  end  of  the  hall  W'allenstein  sat  in  a  gold 
armchair,  much  as  a  sovereign  prince  giving  audience  to 
his  court.  Beside  him  in  a  magnificent  robe  of  golden 
brocade  was  Madame  d'Igomer. 

Renaud  saw  her  and  their  glances  crossed. 

"We  are  lost !"  he  murmured  to  his  friend. 

Armand-Louis  shivered  ;  but  well  dissembling  his  emo- 
tion, he  presented  his  credentials  to  Wallenstein,  who  at 
once  perused  them. 

"The  exchange  of  prisoners  will  be  made,"  he  said  tTien. 
"Man  for  man,  officer  for  officer.  One  of  my  aides-de- 
camp will  give  you  a  list  of  the  Swedes  fallen  into  our 
hands  by  the  fortunes  of  war.  You  are  at  liberty,  Sir,  to 
remain  at  Nuremberg  until  all  these  conventions  have 
been  ratified." 

\\'allcnstein  bowed  slightly  as  if  betokening  his  de- 
parture. 

"But  that  is  not  all,"  said  Armand-Louis  quickly. 

Madame  d'Igomer  exchanged  a  glance  with  Wallen- 
stein and  smiled.    The  duke  sat  down. 

"Two  women  have  been  taken  captive  by  the  Imperial 
troops  at  Magdebourg,"  Armand-Louis  continued.  "They 
are  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  and  Mademoiselle  dc  Par- 
daillan.  I  come  to  treat  of  their  ransom,  if  such  is  neces- 
sary." 

"Count  Tilly  is  dead  and  afTairs  arc  no  longer  as  he 
left  them,"  replied  Wallenstein  haughtily.  "We  have 
more  gold,  thnnk  God,  than  we  can  use  for  ourselves  or 
our  army." 

"If  you  keep  them  as  prisoners  of  war,  Sir,  at  least  ac- 
cord us  a  fair  exchange." 

"Have  you  any  daughter  of  a  great  house,  any  German 
princess  in  captivity  in  the  Swedish  camp?  If  you  have 
let  us  have  the  names  and  we  will  see." 

"Ah,"  roared  Renaud,  whose  blood  began  to  boil,  "do 


148  PROPOSITIONS  AND  PROVOCATIONS 

you  gentlemen  think  we  are  having  a  war  with  women  ?" 

Wallenstein  frowned.  Madame  d'Igomer  advanced 
abruptly  and  said : 

"Perhaps  these  gentlemen  are  not  aware  that,  thanks  to 
the  worthy  Franciscan  monk,  which  His  Eminence  the 
legate  of  the  Holy  Father  has  supplied,  Mademoiselle  de 
Pardaillan  and  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  are  opening 
their  hearts  to  the  holy  truths  of  our  faith?  To  restore 
them  to  those  who  are  bred  in  the  poison  of  heresy  were 
to  endanger  their  eternal  salvation.  Politics  and  blood 
must  yield  to  religion." 

"Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  a  Catholic!"  cried  Ar- 
mand-Louis. 

"Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  a  Catholic!"  added  Ren- 
aud. 

He  was  about  to  say  that  this  conversion  mattered 
little  to  him,  who  gloried  in  the  fact  that  he  was  of  Rom- 
ish persuasion,  when  two  officers  appeared  in  the  hall. 
The  groups  of  gentlemen  retired  and  parted  at  their  ap- 
proach. 

"The  most  striking  sign  of  their  conversion,"  added 
the  Duke  of  Friedland,  "is  that  Mademoiselle  de  Par- 
daillan and  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  have  been  af- 
fianced with  Count  Pappenheim  and  Baron  John  of 
Werth." 

Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  turned  livid.  Count  Pap- 
penheim and  John  of  Werth  were  standing  before  them. 
The  bow  of  ribbon  embroidered  by  Adrienne's  hand  hung 
at  the  hilt  of  the  baron's  sword. 

"What,  you !"  cried  Armand-Louis  to  Count  Pappen- 
heim. 

"I  do  not  remember  that  I  promised  anything  to  the 
Count  of  La  Guerche  in  the  regard  of  Mademoiselle  de 
Pardaillan,"  answered  Count  Pappenheim.  "It  is  per- 
haps well  to  recall  that,  at  Prague,  as  well  as  at  Vienna, 
she  is  Countess  of  Mummelsberg,  subject  to  His  Majesty 
the  Emperor  of  Germany;  and  that,  if  it  pleases  the  Em- 
peror Ferdinand  to  grant  me  her  hand,  it  pleases  me  to 
accept  it." 

"Ah,"  murmured  Armand-Louis,  "you  are  always  the 
man  of  La  Grande  Fortelle." 


PROPOSITIONS  AND  PROVOCATIONS  149 

Count  Pappeiiheim's  visage  colored.  The  purple  lines 
of  the  crossed  sabres  stood  revealed  upon  his  brow. 

"I  believe  you  met  this  man  at  JMagdebourg,"  he  re- 
plied, haughtily  throwing  back  his  head. 

"Traitor!"  roared  Renaud. 

A  deadly  pallor  overspread  the  features  of  Count  Pap- 
penhcim  as  he  measured  the  Gaul  with  his  glaring  eyes. 

"That  word  will  cost  life  to  either  one  of  us,"  he  said. 

"Well,  why  do  you  tarry?  You  have  your  sword. 
We've  met  often  before  this.  If  you  hate  me  as  I  hate 
you.  you  must  burn  with  ardor  to  end  this  quarrel.  Come 
on !" 

"I  follow  you,"  said  Count  Pappenheim  advancing  a 
step. 

"And  I  forbid  you  to  leave  this  place,"  cried  Wallen- 
stein.  "Who  commands  here?  Who  is  the  representa- 
tive and  delegate  of  the  Emperor?  If  it  please  the  Mar- 
quis of  Chaufontaine  to  forget  his  office,  it  suits  me  to 
remind  him  that  I  am  master  at  Nuremberg.  Sheathe 
your  swords  !  Count  Pappenheim,  Grand  Marshal  of  the 
Empire,  you  have  a  command  which  necesitates  your 
presence  in  the  army  and  does  not  permit  you,  unless  at 
my  order,  to  risk  your  life  in  single  combat.  You  will  do 
as  you  see  fit,  if  the  chance  of  war  sets  you  face  to  face 
with  your  enemy  on  the  field  of  battle.  Until  then,  obey!" 

Count  Pappenheim,  trembling  with  rage,  rammed  his 
half-drawn  sword  into  its  scabbard. 

Armand-Louis,  noticing  that  Renaud  did  not  do  like- 
wise, sei/x'd  his  comrade's  arm. 

"I  can  wait,"  he  murmured,  "be  thou  patient,  also." 

The  Duke  of  Friedland  cast  his  imperious  glance  over 
the  assembly.  All  were  silent.  Madame  d'lgomer  smiled, 
smiled. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  duke,  "I  believe  the  conference 
is  ended." 

"My  lord,  is  that  all  the  answer  ycju  have  to  make?" 
said  Armand-I.ouis.  "Kcnicinbcr.  I  speak  in  the  name 
of  Gustavus  Ad(jlphus  antl  I  demand  justice." 

"Sir,  I  have  nothing  to  add." 

Armand-Louis  saluted  Wallenstein  and  withdrew.  As 
he  passed  Count  Pappenheim  he  said  : 


I50  PROPOSITIONS  AND  PROVOCATIONS 

"You  promised  me  on  your  honor  to  guard  Made- 
moiselle de  Souvigny,    Au  revoir,  count!" 

"Au  revoir,  gentlemen,"  replied  Count  Pappenheim. 

Meanwhile  Madame  d'Igomer  kept  smiling  and  flut- 
tering her  fan.  John  of  Werth  curled  his  mustache.  He 
alone  had  not  spoken. 

"I  must  see  Captain  Jacobus,"  he  said  to  himself.  "In 
the  interim  I  will  send  a  messenger  to  my  friend,  Lord 
Mattheus.  I  fancy  that  my  two  gentlemen  will  beat  about 
the  country.    They  shall  not  take  me  unawares." 

No  words  can  express  exactly  the  feelings  that  tortured 
Renaud.  The  furtive  glances  which  Armand-Louis  cast 
upon  him  told  him  how  precisely  his  own  fury  and  hate 
were  reflected  and  echoed.  Unhappily  their  anger  had 
no  vent ;  their  office  and  the  haughty  answer  of  Wallen- 
stein  did  not  allow  them  to  seek  the  immediate  reparation 
of  arms  for  the  injury  they  suffered.  They  must  bide 
their  time  and  stomach  the  outrage  until  the  day  when 
their  brave  swords  might  be  freely  drawn. 

"Don't  talk  to  me  of  Pappenheim,"  said  Renaud. 
"Whether  traveler  or  soldier  'tis  always  the  same  man." 


THE  LITTLE  HOUSE  AT  NUREMBERG  151 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  LITTLE  HOUSE  AT  NUREMBERG. 

That  same  evening,  while  Renaud  was  walking  up  and 
down  before  the  house,  which  had  been  assigned  as  their 
dwelling,  and  as  he  vented  his  rage  in  various  expletives, 
a  page  approached  and  invited  him  with  much  discretion 
to  follow  him. 

"Whither  dost  thou  wish  to  lead  me?"  asked  Renaud, 
who  was  not  in  a  mood  for  adventures. 

"To  a  place  where  you  will  not  regret  to  have  gone," 
replied  the  page. 

Carquefou,  who  was  nearby,  munching  the  wing  of  a 
pheasant,  lifted  up  his  nose. 

"Marquis,"  he  said,  "  'tis  my  mind  that  this  is  not  a  safe 
country  at  sunset.  Hereabouts  they  tell  some  awful  tales 
of  devils  and  hobgoblins  with  divers  human  rascals  inter- 
mixed.   Stay  at  home." 

"It  concerns  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan,"  the  page 
murmured  close  to  Renaud's  ear. 

"What !  Why  didst  not  speak  sooner?  Be  ofY,  I  follow 
thee." 

Renaud  ran  rather  than  walked  upon  the  heels  of  the 
page,  whom  he  drove  thus  more  briskly.  Carquefou 
flung  away  his  bone. 

"I  feel  just  like  a  good  sleep,"  he  said  to  himself. 

He  arose  with  a  sigh  and  followed  his  master  at  a  dis- 
tance.    Renaud  never  looked  behind  him. 

Carquefou  saw  him  go  out  of  the  city,  dive  into  a  hol- 
low road,  reach  a  coppice  in  whose  midst  an  avenue 
opened,  then  disappear  suddenly  behinrl  the  door  of  a 
pavilion,  hidden  under  a  thick  mass  of  foliage. 

Carquefou  took  a  turn  al)out  the  building,  scraping  the 
deadwood  under  his  feet.  No  light  could  he  see.  Doors 
and  windows  were  iicrmctically  sealed. 


152  THE  LITTLE  HOUSE  AT  NUREMBERG 

"Humph !"  murmured  Carquefon,  "this  looks  like  the 
house  of  a  fairy  or  the  abode  of  an  ogre." 

He  leaned  against  a  tree,  facing  the  door  by  which  his 
master  had  entered  the  pavilion.    Here  he  waited. 

"At  the  slightest  noise  I  begin  the  attack,"  he  said  to 
himself  in  a  low  voice. 

Meanwhile  Renaud  was  ascending  a  dark  staircase. 
The  page  held  his  hand.  He  felt  a  carpet  under  his  feet 
which  stifled  his  footfalls.  His  heart  beat  till  he  could 
scarcely  breathe. 

"Diana!  I  shall  see  Diana!"  he  thought.  A  portiere 
was  drawn  aside,  and  in  a  room  dimly  lighted  he  beheld 
Madame  d'Igomer.    Renaud  recoiled. 

"You  are  afraid  of  a  woman,  then,  marquis?"  she  said. 

"I  believed  that  I  was  summoned  in  regard  to  Made- 
moiselle de  Pardaillan.  This  is  treachery!"  criea  Renaud. 

"You  have  not  been  deceived.  It  concerns  Made- 
moiselle de  Pardaillan.  But  I  do  not  know  that  you  have 
been  told  you  were  to  see  her." 

Madame  d'Igomer  trembled  as  she  spoke. 

Renaud  had  never  seen  her  so  pale  and  worn,  not  even 
on  the  day  he  took  his  leave  from  her  in  St.  Wast  Castle, 

This  vindictive  woman,  who  obeyed  hate's  every  in- 
spiration, seemed  to  have  lost  almost  all  her  strength. 
Her  white  robe  revealed  the  heaving  of  her  bosom.  The 
pallor  of  death  veiled  her  forehead  and  cheeks.  Never- 
theless Renaud,  while  studying  her,  drew  open  one  of 
the  folds  of  the  portiere,  as  if  about  to  retire. 

"What  do  you  fear?"  asked  Madame  d'Igomer  sweet- 
ly.   "Only  a  woman  and  a  boy  are  here." 

"But  that  woman  is  you,"  said  Renaud. 

"If  you  mean  that  the  fate  of  Mademoiselle  de  Par- 
daillan is  in  my  hands,  it  is  true.  But  it  is  for  you  to  de- 
cide whether  she  shall  be  free  to-morrow." 

"I  am  to  decide!  What  must  I  do?  All  my  life 
blood—" 

"You  would  shed  for  her,  eh?"  interrupted  Madame 
d'Igomer.  "I  know  that.  Why  do  you  tell  me  it?  You 
take  bad  means  to  heal  the  wound  which  bleeds  in  my 
heart." 

Thecla  fell  exhausted  into  a  chair.     Her  face  was  the 


THE  LITTLE  HOUSE  AT  NUREMBERG  153 

color  of  snow.  Tears  of  unfeigned  suffering  flowed  from 
her  eyes.  Renaud  took  her  hands  and  felt  them  tremble 
in  his. 

"If  you  wished  it,"'  he  said,  "you  might  have  me  spend 
my  whole  life  in  blessing  you.'" 

"Listen,"  replied  Madame  d'Igomer.  "I  fancied  I  was 
much  stronger  than  I  am ;  much  more  rooted  in  hate.  I 
have  seen  you  and  I  know  not  what  flame  has  suddenly 
warmed  this  heart  which  has  throbbed  but  once.  What 
shall  I  say?  Do  I  not  know  the  influence,  the  charm 
that  has  conquered  it?  All  this  feeling  that  I  had  for- 
gotten suddenly  returns  upon  me.  Long  months  of 
mourning,  tumultuous  with  the  spirit  of  vengeance,  are 
obliterated:  of  all  that  I  have  suffered  or  dreamed,  of  my 
tears  of  madness  and  despair,  only  you  remain." 

For  a  moment  Thccla  was  silent.  A  mingling  of  as- 
tonishment and  sadness  flooded  Renaud's  soul.  He  was 
about  to  speak,  but  she  anticipated  him  . 

"Know  me  as  I  am,"  she  continued.  "Whatever  you 
will  have  me,  I  will  be.  I  can  no  longer  be  your  com- 
panion in  life,  the  proud  wife  to  walk,  leaning  on  your 
arm.  I  shall  be  your  servant,  your  slave.  None  will  be 
more  devoted,  more  humble,  more  happy  with  the  lot  you 
dole  her.  If  you  wish  me  to  love  Mademoiselle  de  Par- 
daillan,  I  will  love  her.  But  do  you  love  me,  or  if  this 
effort  be  impossible  to  you  still,  do  not  love  her  at  all  any 
more  and  abandon  this  cursed  idea  of  giving  her  your 
name!  Tell  me,  do  you  remember  nothing  of  the  past, 
and  am  I  too  exacting  in  asking  of  you  a  little  pity?  Re- 
call our  words  of  whilom  times.  Ah,  if  you  have  lost  the 
memory  of  them,  my  sad  heart  still  burns  with  it.  You 
do  not  know  how  deeply  I  loved  you !  Alas,  I  did  not 
know  myself.  See  what  you  have  made  of  me,  into  what 
an  abyss  I  have  fallen !  Do  you  not  owe  something  to 
her  whom  you  have  abandoned  and  who,  if  it  were  not 

for  you,  perhaps .     But  I  will  not  reproach  you.     I 

bless  the  evil  day  I  met  you,  the  day  that  .saw  me  love 
you.  Of  the  happiness  I  tasted  in  the  past  I  ask  only  the 
shadow,  the  remembrance.  At  this  price  there  is  nothing 
you  cannot  obtain  from  me.     Place  your  hand  in  mine. 


154  THE  LITTLE  HOUSE  AT  NUREMBERG 

Swear  that  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  shall  never  be 
Marquise  de  Chaufontaine,  and  my  confidence  will  go 
so  far  as  to  tell  you  :    She  is  free  !" 

"But  I  love  her!"  cried  Renaud. 

"What!"  exclaimed  Madame  d'Igomer.     "You  are  in 

my  house.    She  is  still  captive.    You  dare hold,  you 

are  very  bold  or  else  mad !" 

"In  turn,  hear  me,  I  pray  you.  What  has  she  done  to 
you?    Is  she  not  entirely  innocent?" 

"Innocent?    She  who  tore  you  from  my  arms!" 

"Then  punish  me,  but  spare  her.  Has  she  not  been 
good  and  true  to  you?  She  is  not  yet  twenty.  Let  not 
her  youth  be  drowned  in  tears  !" 

"Do  you  fancy  that  she  has  wept  alone?" 

"Ah,  you  are  implacable.  Neither  beauty,  innocence 
nor  misery  affect  you.  Why  strike  her,  when  I  am  here  ? 
What  shame  do  you  propose  to  me?  Betray  her  when 
she  has  said,  'I  love  you !'  " 

"Did  not  some  one,  named  Renaud,  say  the  same 
words  to  me?"  she  almost  shrieked. 

This  last  cry  was  the  last  straw.  Madame  d'lgomer 
had  arisen.  That  expression  he  had  seen  in  her  face  at 
St.  Wast  had  returned.  Thecla  showed  not  the  slightest 
trace  of  the  emotion  which  had  softened  her  a  minute  be- 
fore. 

Renaud  went  toward  the  door  without  answering. 

"Then,"  said  Madame  dTgomer,  "you  do  not  renounce 
the  hand  of  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan?" 

"Never!" 

"Then  she  shall  renounce  yours!" 

Renaud  turned  as  if  to  question  her. 

"Marquis,  I  do  not  detain  you  any  longer,"  said 
Madame  dTgomer,  striking  a  bell  and  ordering  the  page 
to  reconduct  Renaud. 

"Now,"  murmured  Madame  dTgomer,  "Til  let  Mat- 
*lieus  Orlscopp  do  his  will." 

Renaud  found  Carquefou  standing  against  the  tree  he 
had  selected  as  his  post  for  observation. 

"All  goes  wrong,"  he  said  in  reply  to  Carquefou's  in- 
terrogative glance. 


THE  LITTLE  HOUSE  AT  NUREMBERG  155 

"Sir."  replied  tlie  honest  philosopher,  "while  there's 
life,  there's  hope." 

Then  understanding  that  his  master  was  not  in  a  talk- 
ative mood,  he  wound  his  cloak  about  him  and  followed 
in  silence. 


156  FOUR.  AGAINST  ONE 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

FOUR  AGAINST  ONE. 

The  conditions  of  exchange  had  been  ratified.  There 
was  nothing  to  detain  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  at 
Nuremberg.  They  took  leave  of  Wallenstein  and  rode 
out  of  the  camp. 

Within  arrow-shot  of  the  moat  they  met  a  cavaHer  who 
saluted  them  as  he  passed.  It  was  Count  Pappenheim. 
He  bore  his  cuirass  and  a  great  cloak.  Before  Armand- 
Louis  or  Renaud  had  time  to  answer  his  salute  the  count 
was  far  away. 

"The  bird  of  prey  flies  to  the  left — a  bad  sign,"  said 
Carquefou. 

"Even  without  considering  that  the  country  is  full  of 
ambushes,"  murmured  Rudiger. 

Their  route  led  through  a  wooded  country,  sewn  with 
gorges  and  solitudes  of  pine  and  birch  trees.  A  low 
wind  blew  the  mass  clouds  wandering  across  the  sky. 
They  thickened  and  they  scattered  Jn  turn.  Armand- 
Louis  and  Renaud  felt  the  influence  of  this  melancholy 
mood  of  nature.    They  meditated  and  did  not  converse. 

Magnus  was  looking  ahead  one  moment,  behind  the 
next,  now  to  the  left,  then  to  the  right. 

Rudiger  on  his  side  kept  his  eye  on  everything. 

"If  I  die,  which  is  probable,"  murmured  Carquefou,  "I 
should  not  like  to  die  in  such  weather  or  in  such  a  coun- 
try.   I  should  be  too  cold." 

This  said  he  wrapped  His  cloak,  which  fluttered  in  the 
north  wind,  closer  about  his  thighs. 

The  fog  ran  along  the  heather;  a  flock  of  crows 
streaked  its  gray  mass  in  a  sinister  and  heavy  flight. 

A  cavalier  passed  like  a  phantom  along  the  road,  then 


FOUR   AGAINST  ONE  157 

another,  then  a  third ;  then  the  three  united  in  a  group, 
preceding  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  by  one  hundred 
paces. 

Magnus  cast  his  eyes  toward  the  end  of  a  gorge  his 
Httle  troop  had  just  crossed.  In  the  distance,  almost  in- 
visible in  the  mist,  three  cavaliers  appeared  on  foot. 

"That  makes  six  in  all,"  he  thought,  "that's  nothing." 

Nevertheless  he  tried  his  pistols  to  see  that  they  slipped 
easily  from  their  holsters. 

Almost  at  the  same  moment,  Rudiger  who  had  tried  his 
weapons  also,  and  was  peering  searchingly  on  every  side, 
observed  on  the  right,  in  the  plain,  where  grew  a  low 
copsewood,  three  other  cavaliers. 

"Nine,"  said  he,  pointing  them  out  to  his  neighbor. 

Magnus  quickly  turned  his  eyes  to  the  loft,  where  a 
small  wood  lay,  along  the  border  of  which  they  were 
passing. 

Night  was  coming  on  quickly.  Yet  among  the  pale 
tnmks  of  the  birches  they  distinguished  three  shadows, 
which  glided  into  the  silent  depths  of  the  forest. 

"That  makes  twelve,"  thought  Magnus.  This  time  he 
primed  his  pistols,  and,  drawing  his  sword  from  the  scab- 
bard, let  it  hang  naked  in  his  hand.  Rudiger  had  taken 
the  same  precaution. 

Carquefou,  who  was  watching  them,  imitated  them 
scrupulously.  Then  leaning  over  toward  Magnus'  ear  he 
asked : 

"Why?" 

Without  saying  a  word  Magnus  pointed  toward  the 
four  points  of  the  compass. 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Carquefou. 

"Remark,"  said  Rudiger,  "that  they  are  approaching 
us." 

Magnus  said  nothing;  but  for  himself  he  took  note  that 
within  the  last  minute  each  group  had  been  augmented 
by  one  man,  making  the  whole  number  sixteen. 

The  next  instant,  the  four  men  in  advance  turned 
around  ;  those  behind  hurried  forward.  By  a  simultane- 
ous movement  the  two  troops  on  the  right  and  left  gal- 
loped toward  the  road. 


158  FOUR    AGAINST  ONE 

Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  were  caught  between  four 
fires. 

In  this  district  where  no  inn,  house,  or  cabin  could  be 
seen  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  two  bunches  of  black 
pines  arose  on  either  side  of  the  road. 

Magnus  had  struck  Armand-Louis  on  the  shoulder, 
and  Carquefou  cautioned  Renaud,  when  a  cavalier  sud- 
denly issued  from  the  pines.  He  held  his  head  high,  his 
sword  in  his  hand. 

Carquefou  gave  utterance  to  a  cry. 

"I  see,  gentlemen,"  said  the  cavalier  smiling  and  salut- 
ing them  with  his  sword,  "that  you  have  recognized  Cap- 
tain Jacobus." 

"Ah,  bandit !"  roared  Renaud. 

"Now,  if  it  please  you,  let's  settle  our  accounts." 

But  as  Captain  Jacobus  raised  his  pistol  to  give  the 
signal  of  attack  to  the  four  bands,  which  were  within 
thirty  paces  of  the  gentlemen,  a  cavalier  came  bounding 
along  the  road  and  putting  a  silver  whistle  to  his  lips  sent 
forth  a  shrill  call. 

A  great  clashing  was  heard  in  the  thick  of  the  fog  and 
the  road  was  covered  with  cuirassiers,  who,  sabres 
drawn,  surrounded  the  assailants. 

"Captain  Jacobus,  lower  arms,"  said  the  cavalier.  "I 
am  Count  Pappenheim." 

Captain  Jacobus  cast  his  astonished  glances  in  all  di- 
rections and  found  his  bands  surrounded  by  a  wall  of 
bronze. 

He  shoved  his  sword  back  into  the  scabbard. 

"My  lord,"  he  said  coolly,  "you  are  the  stronger,  but 
I  very  much  fear  that  you've  committed  a  blunder." 

Count  Pappenheim  pointed  toward  Nuremberg. 

Captain  Jacobus  reunited  his  men,  the  serried  ranks  of 
the  cuirassiers  opened  and  the  whole  pack  scurried  away 
like  jackals  who  have  heard  the  roaring  of  a  lion. 

The  cuirassiers  formed  ranks  behind  Count  Pappen- 
heim and,  riding  at  their  head,  he  escorted  Armand-Louis 
and  Renaud  to  the  end  of  this  dangerous  road.  At  the 
first  streaks  of  dawn  they  saw  a  town,  whose  houses 
speckled  each  side  of  the  way. 


FOUR    AGAINST  ONE  159 

"The  Swedish  army  is  before  you,  gentlemen,"  he  then 
said,  "and  the  armistice  expires  to-morrow." 

As  tlie  two  Gauls  bowed,  he  adtlcd,  addressing  himself 
to  Armand-Louis. 

"Are  we  not  quits,  now,  count?  The  woods  you  have 
just  passed  through,  have  they  paid  the  debt  of  the  camp 
of  Stettin?  Has  Count  Pappenheim  remembered  Count 
Eberart  ?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Armand-Louis. 

"Then,  gentlemen,  good  luck  to  you.  And,  if  it  please 
God  we  shall  meet  on  the  field  of  battle,  there  you  shall 
see  that  I  forget  nothing." 

Count  Pappenheim  saluted  the  two  gentlemen  very 
proudly  with  his  hand,  and,  followed  by  his  cuirassiers, 
was  soon  lost  in  a  cloud  of  dust. 

"A  strange  man,"  said  Renaud.  looking  after  the  sol- 
dier as  he  rode  away  with  his  men. 

"Truly  a  strange  man,"  replied  Armand-Louis,  "in 
him  is  to  be  found  a  mixture  of  all  good  and  all  bad  qual- 
ities. The  former  are  his  by  birth,  the  latter  the  result  of 
the  events  and  the  struggles  of  his  life.  He  has  the  germ 
of  the  best  and  highest  virtues,  the  passion  for  glory,  love 
of  country  and  religion,  faithful  beyond  all  proof  to  his 
emperor  and  his  flag,  untamably  brave.  But  all  this  is 
envenomed  and  corrupted  by  a  dangerous  ambition,  an 
implacable  pride,  a  contempt  for  men  and  a  disdain  for  all 
rights.  Yesterday  he  rode  through  a  city  in  flames  and 
made  his  horse  pass  over  the  corpses  of  ten  thousand 
Germans.  What  did  it  matter  to  him?  They  were  only 
rebels  and  Protestants.  The  same  day  he  resolutely  risks 
his  life  for  two  women  in  a  village,  a  prey  to  the  dnmken 
pillage  of  an  army.  Yesterday  he  aspired  unpityingly  to 
the  hand  of  a  noble  woman,  who  repulsed  him  ;  to-day  he 
saves  his  rival.  Circumstances  have  made  him  what  he 
is;  ferocious,  violent,  capable  of  most  terrible  revenge,  the 
most  savage  deeds.  Then  at  times  his  soul  awakens  and 
magnanimity  dawns.  The  tree  seems  to  be  withered,  but 
it  often  drops  rii)e  fruit." 

"In  faith,"  said  Renaud,  "if  T  ever  kill  him,  I  shall  never 
have  killed  a  more  valiant  warrior." 


i6o  FOUR  AGAINST   ONE 

On  the  very  day  the  armistice  expired  Armand-Louis 
and  Renaiid  regained  the  army  of  the  king.  Immediately 
Armand-Louis  requested  an  audience  with  Gustavus 
Adolphus. 

A  most  audacious  project  had  sprung  up  in  his  mind. 
He  had  served  the  cause  of  Sweden.  He  beUeved  he  had 
the  right  to  serve  his  own  now. 


THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUHRCHE       i6i 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUERCHE. 

After  having  detailed  to  the  king  the  result  of  the  mis- 
sion, which  had  been  entrusted  to  him,  Armand-Louis 
asked  His  Majesty  permission  to  speak  of  matters  that 
were  of  no  importance  save  to  himself. 

"Speak,  my  dear  count,"  said  the  king. 

"Sire,  do  you  think  I  have  so  far  served  the  cause  to 
which  you  have  devoted  your  arms,  as  to  solicit  a  favor 
from  Your  Majesty?" 

"Colonel,  you  know  that  I  have  not  hesitated  to  pro- 
claim before  the  whole  army  how  much  Sweden  owes  to 
you." 

"Then,  Sire,  as  I  one  day  asked  you  for  five  hundred 
men  to  deal  a  final  blow  to  the  enemy,  will  you  now  per- 
mit me  to  look  in  the  army  for  one  hundred  volunteers 
who  will  follow  me  whithersoever  I  may  lead  them  ?" 

"If  you  mean  to  be  their  leader.  I  fear  they  may  go  so 
far  that  they  will  never  return." 

"It  is  quite  possible.  I  must  have  soldiers  who  will  re- 
treat before  nothing." 

"This  is  a  difficult  undertaking,  then?" 

"So  difficult,  that  it  may  well  appear  mad  to  any  man 
who  does  not  see  the  happiness  of  his  life  entailed  in  it." 

"Explain  yourself." 

"A  faithful  servant  drew  me  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
Imperialists.  Shall  I  do  less  for  Mademoiselle  de  Souv- 
igny  than  Magnus  did  for  me?  Mademoiselle  de  Par- 
daillan  is  beside  her,  subject  to  the  same  slavery.  Her 
father  weeps,  my  heart  bleeds.  M.  de  Chaufontaine  and  I 
have  sworn  to  liberate  them." 

"It  is  to  Prague,  in  Bohemia,  in  the  heart  of  the  ene- 
my's provint"  s,  I  know  not  whither,  you  wish  to  go  with 
one  hundred  men?" 

"Yes,  Sire.    Honor  is  my  law." 


i62       THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUERCHE 

"Oh,  I  should  have  acted  as  you  act  in  the  past,"  cried 
the  king,  seizing  the  hand  of  Armand-Louis.  "Go  then ! 
I  should  think  myself  unworthy  of  my  crown  if  I  did  not 
say  to  you :  Risk  everything  to  rescue  her  whom  you 
love.  But  after  the  king,  the  friend  will  add :  Be  careful 
to  save  the  brave  soldiers  of  Sweden.  She  has  none  too 
many." 

As  Armand-Louis  was  taking  leave  of  the  king,  the 
door  opened  and  the  Duke  of  Lauenbourg  entered.  Ar- 
mand-Louis stopped. 

"Hostilities  have  recommenced,"  said  Francis-Albert. 
"Two  Hungarian  regiments,  which  reached  the  Imperial 
camp  yesterday,  attacked  a  squadron  of  Finnish  musket- 
eers during  the  night.  Two  Italian  regiments  follow  in 
their  train." 

"Your  information  is  very  exact,"  said  Armand-Louis 
brusquely.    "How  did  you  get  it?" 

The  duke  who  had  not  noticed  Armand-Louis,  turned 
toward  him  now  and  reddened.  As  he  spoke  Armand- 
Louis  played  with  a  chain  of  gold  which  hung  at  his  belt. 
The  flashing  of  the  pure  metal  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  Duke  of  Lauenbourg,  who  was  sore  put  for  an  answer. 

"But  you,  Sir,"  he  said  at  length  with  mingled  anger 
and  haughtiness,  "you  who  ask  such  fluent  questions,  can 
you  tell  me  whence  you  have  this  golden  chain  that  glit- 
ters on  your  doublet  ?  I  have  been  looking  for  it  for  some 
time." 

"Does  the  chain  belong  to  you?"  asked  Armand-Louis 
quickly. 

"It  was  stolen  from  me.  By  what  strange  chance  does 
it  come  to  be  in  your  hands  ?" 

"Ah,  Sir,  you  have  been  searching  for  it  for  a  long  time, 
you  say.  Well,  I  have  been  just  as  long  seeking  its 
owner.  Something  tells  me  that  there  may  be  some  rela- 
tion, at  least  a  whimsical  one,  between  the  accident  by 
which  you  lost  it  and  a  crime  committed  near  the  royal 
residence  some  three  years  ago." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  mean  that  this  chain,  which  is  yours  and  claimed  by 
you  so  impudently,  was  found  by  me  near  Gothabourg,  at 
the  door  of  the  house  from  which  Margaret  Cabeliau  had 


THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  (iUKRCIII-:  163 

just  been  abducted  and  where,  an  hour  later,  I  met  you, 
my  lord  duke,  for  the  first  time." 

"It  must  have  slipped  from  my  belt,"  stammered  the 
duke,  turning  pale. 

"Before  the  crime,  then ;  because  it  was  before  the  ab- 
duction of  Margaret  Cabeliau  that  I  found  this  chain  on 
the  grass  amid  the  hoof-prints  of  a  horse — of  your  horse, 
my  lord  duke." 

For  an  instant  the  Duke  of  Lauenbourg  wislned  to  re- 
turn the  stare  of  Armand-Louis.  But  as  he  was  van- 
quished in  this  silent  struggle  he  slowly  lowered  his  eyes. 

Armand-Louis  then  passed  before  him,  saying  in  a  con- 
descending tone : 

"Since  the  chain  belongs  to  you,  my  lord  duke,  take  it." 

With  a  haughty  gesture  the  Huguenot  flung  it  at  his 
feet. 

Armand-Louis  approached  the  king  and  murmured: 
"Sire,  what  do  you  think  of  this?" 

Then  believing  that  he  had  trod  the  worm  in  the  dust, 
he  went  away. 

"Well  ?"  asked  the  king  turning  suddenly  upon  the 
Duke  of  Lauenbourg. 

"If  this  man  were  not  your  guest  I  should  have  killed 
him,"  cried  the  duke. 

"It  is  not  so  easy  to  kill  the  Count  of  La  Guerche,"  re- 
turned the  king.  "But  we  are  now  concerned  with  this 
chain  and  not  with  him." 

The  blow  had  been  a  terrific  one,  not  less  terrific  than 
unexpected.  But  the  duke  was  alone  and  he  knew  that 
Gustavus  Adolphus  loved  him.  He  made  a  sudden  sum- 
mons on  all  his  native  audacity. 

"It  is  true,  the  chain  is  mine  and  I  lost  it  at  the  door  of 
the  little  White  House,"  he  cried.  "Do  not  ask  me  what 
I  was  doing  there.  Remember  only  that  Margaret  was 
beautiful  and  I  was  young.  All  that  could  be  done  to 
stifle  a  love  which  fills  the  heart  I  had  done.  My  efforts 
were  in  vain.  Her  image  pursued  me  everywhere.  Sire, 
was  it  my  fault  that  I  met  her  before  you  did?  When  a 
confidence,  which  I  had  not  asked  for,  inf(jrmed  me  that  I 
had  no  longer  the  right  to  hope,  you  know  not  the  an- 
guish which  tore  my  breast.    I  would  have  fled  away,  dis- 


i64  THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUERCHE 

appeared  to  forget  her  who  had  become  the  soul  of  my 
hfe.  An  invisible  but  mighty  thread  drew  me  back  to  the 
places  where  she  breathed  and  I  drank  the  poison  with 
the  bitter  pleasure  of  a  heart  which  nothing  can  disen- 
thral of  its  love.  Ah,  a  thousand  times  I  felt  that  I  was 
dying.  When  you  were  at  her  side,  I,  drunk  with  despair, 
prowled  about  her  enchanted  abode,  which  should  have 
been  my  kingdom,  my  paradise,  had  Margaret  so  willed. 
My  tears  wet  the  grass  as  did  the  dew.  She  loved  you 
and  I  kissed  the  traces  of  her  footsteps.  One  day  this 
chain  fell.    Ah,  Sire,  you  were  then  with  Margaret " 

An  emotion  he  could  not  master  stole  into  the  king's 
heart.  Could  he  who  had  felt  love's  full  fever  condemn  a 
man  who  had  sulTered  all  its  anguish?  Francis-Albert 
knew  Gustavus  Adolphus  too  well  not  to  guess  at  the 
slightest  outward  sign  the  trend  of  his  sentiments.  He 
felt  that  the  best  and  cleverest  defense  was  absolute  frank- 
ness ;  and  he  resvmied  with  an  extraordinary  vehemence : 

"But  if,  Sire,  you  wish  to  have  my  whole  confession, 
then  know  all.  What  tempests  in  a  bosom  all  burning 
with  a  futile  love !  Yes,  I  admit  it,  I  thought  to  avenge 
myself." 

"You?" 

"Indeed  I  did.  A  thousand  terrible  projects  crossed 
my  mind.  I  knew  not  to  which  I  should  sacrifice  the  re- 
mainder of  a  miserable  life.  In  you  I  saw  the  sole  cause 
of  all  my  suffering.  It  seemed  that  my  greatest  joy  should 
be  to  see  you  dying,  abandoned  by  all.  I  sought  a  means 
of  appeasing  my  black  grief  in  the  sight  of  your  ruin.  Ah, 
if  I  acknowledge  these  nightmares  'tis  because  my  awak- 
ening has  dissipated  them.  I  had  not  the  strength  and  in 
spite  of  myself,  when  I  wished  to  carry  out  these  sinister 
dreams,  I  thought  of  the  past  and  my  cowardly  heart 
trembled." 

Astonishment,  anger,  pity,  all  were  pictured  in  the  vis- 
sage  of  the  king. 

Francis-Albert,  who  observed  his  mood  even  as  he  pre- 
tended to  abandon  himself  to  the  feverish  flow  of  his  con- 
fession, soon  went  on : 

"I  did  more.  I  visited  your  most  implacable  enemies. 
I  saw  Count  Pappenheim,  I  saw  the  Duke  of  Friedland, 


THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUERCHE      165 

as  I  saw  also  him,  whose  army  your  sword  scattered  on 
the  shores  of  the  Lecli.  I  was  to  march  witli  them 
against  you  and  in  the  conflict  seek  you  out  and  die — or 
kill  you.  I  heard  your  voice,  a  chill  seized  me,  and  this 
sword  which  thirsted  for  your  blood  I  surrender  to  you. 
If  it  seems  fit  to  you  that  I  should  die,  strike !" 

Francis-Albert  had  drawn  his  sword  and  gave  it  to 
Gustavus  Adolphus. 

"But  when  you  strike,"  he  added,  "at  last  do  not  forget 
that  perhaps  you  do  not  owe  me  so  much  misery  in  rec- 
ompense for  the  past.  My  cheek  is  pale  to-day  though 
my  heart  bleeds." 

This  allusion  to  the  scene  of  their  youth,  which  had  not 
been  forgotten  by  Gustavus  Adolphus,  suddenly  shook 
the  king.  His  open  and  loyal  soul  reached  the  highest 
mercy  as  it  understood  all  candor.  The  fearless  confes- 
sion of  Francis-Albert  had  paved  the  way.  What  sus- 
picion could  live  in  presence  of  such  an  avowal  ? 

"Take  back  this  sword,"  said  the  king  holding  his  hand 
out  to  him.  "It  is  Gustavus  Adolphus  who  gives  it  to  you 
and  who  asks  you  to  keep  it  for  Sweden." 

Francis-Albert  gave  utterance  to  a  cry  and  raised  the 
king's  hand  to  his  lips.  But  when  he  had  gained  the 
door  of  the  royal  tent  he  shook  the  dust  from  his  feet  and 
slapping  his  scabbard  said  between  his  teeth : 

"Thou  hast  given  it  back  !    Woe  betide  thee !" 

That  same  day  Armand-Louis  convoked  a  general  as- 
sembly of  the  dragoons  of  his  company.  A  goodly  num- 
ber of  them  had  fallen  at  Leipzig  and  on  the  shores  of  the 
Lech  ;  but  they  had  been  replaced  by  other  Huguenots 
who  had  flocked  hither  from  all  parts  of  France  with  the 
permission  of  Cardinal  Richelieu.  Never  had  a  braver 
body  of  youth  gathered  about  a  captain.  No  hall  was 
large  enough  to  contain  them  all.  so  it  was  decided  to 
have  the  reunion  on  the  border  of  a  wood  where  lay  a 
quantity  of  fallen  trees.  These  were  the  seats  of  the 
dragoons.  That  the  truce  was  at  an  end  filled  the  hearts 
of  these  brave  gentlemen  with  hope.  The  hour  of  perils 
anrl  battles  was  to  be  reborn.  This  repose  of  a  few  days 
irked  even  the  least  impatiiiU  among  them. 

"When  do  we  sit  in  saddle?"  asked  one. 


'i66       THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUERCHE 

"Do  you  remain  with  the  king  or  do  we  follow  Rhine- 
grave  Otto?"  asked  another. 

"Whithersoever  we  go,  let  us  be  in  the  advance 
guard  !"  said  a  third. 

When  calm  had  been  almost  restored,  Armand-Louis 
stood  on  the  trunk  of  a  felled  oak. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "I  have  need  of  a  hundred  men 
of  will.  I  should  have  judged  myself  guilty  of  an  insult 
to  the  dragoons  of  France  had  I  addressed  myself  to  the 
other  corps  of  the  Swedish  army  before  submitting  my 
request  to  them.  It  is  no  longer  your  captain  who  speaks 
to  you.  It  is  your  brother  in  arms — a  soldier.  Therefore, 
speak  as  you  will,  without  fear.  We  are  not  concerned 
with  a  matter  of  service." 

"Will  you  lead  the  hundred  men  you  need  into  battle?" 
asked  M.  de  Berail. 

"I  shall  lead  them  all  into  the  heart  of  Germany,  into 
the  thick  of  the  Austrian  provinces,  into  the  home  of  the 
enemy."     A  thrill  of  joy  animated  the  dragoons. 

"Now  we  begin  to  understand,"  added  M.  d'Aigrefeu- 
ille.    "We  may  hope  then  to  incur  many  dangers?" 

"My  friends,"  said  Renaud,  "the  Count  of  La  Guerche 
has  confided  his  project  to  me.  Such  is  it  that  the  half 
of  those  who  undertake  the  expedition  have  a  chance  of 
never  returning." 

"Then  there'll  be  a  shower  of  blows  to  give  and  re- 
ceive," cried  a  young  cornet. 

"And  a  tempest  of  pistol  balls  as  well,"  added  Renaud. 

"Monsieur  de  Chaufontaine,  you  speak  like  a  good 
book,"  said  M.  de  Berail.  "If  fate  does  not  have  me  to 
fall  on  the  way,  we'll  talk  about  this  little  journey  over  a 
pate  of  venison.    Write  me  at  the  head  of  the  list." 

"And  do  you  think  I  wish  to  remain  here?"  cried  M. 
d'Aigrefeuille.  "If  we  don't  risk  our  lives  twenty  times 
I'll  consider  you  a  man  of  ill  faith  and  we'll  cut  our  own 
throats.    Have  a  care.'' 

"Be  easy  on  that  score,"  replied  Renaud,  as  he  drew 
from  his  pocket  a  memorandum  on  which  he  wrote  the 
names  of  the  first  two  recruits.  "The  least  that  can  hap- 
pen you  is  to  lose  a  leg  or  an  arm." 

"Put  my  name  there  also,"  cried  the  cornet. 


THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUERCHE       167 

"Do  you  think  I  will  miss  this  pleasure  party?"  asked 
a  gentleman  burning  with  ardor  to  win  his  spurs. 

"Write  M.  de  St.  Paer.'' 

"And  M.  d'Arrandes." 

"M.  de  Volras." 

"M.  de  CoUongcs." 

Renaud's  pen  lagged ;  the  cries  crossed  one  another  in 
the  fire  of  enlistment  and  grew  more  numerous. 

"Oh,  la,  la !"'  cried  Renaud,  "my  hands  weary.  We 
need  one  hundred  men  of  good  will.  Let  those  who  have 
a  fancy  to  follow  us  have  the  goodness  to  pass  to  my 
right.    We  will  count  them." 

All  the  men  rushed  at  one  bound  to  the  right  of  Ren- 
aud.   Not  one  remained  on  his  left. 

"Good!"  cried  Renaud,  closing  his  book,  "we  won't 
count." 

"I  maintain  my  rank,"  said  M.  de  Berail,  laughing,  "by 
right  of  age.    Let  the  others  draw  lots." 

"Lot  us  draw  lots,"  said  i\L  d'Aigrefeuille,  sadly. 

A  cornet  placed  his  hat  on  a  stone  and  each  man 
hastened  to  throw  into  it  his  name  inscribed  on  a  bit  of 
paper.  The  hat  was  half  filled  when  ^L  de  CoUonges, 
who  v.-as  quite  young,  knocked  it  over  with  a  blow  of  his 
fist. 

"We  are  stupid,"  he  cried,  "why  draw  lots?  Let  us  all 
go — the  more  the  merrier,  and  if  we're  all  killed  there'll 
be  none  left  to  be  jealous." 

"Truth  sometimes  comes  from  the  mouth  of  a  child," 
said  Renaud.    "What  thinkest  thou,  captain?" 

"I  think,"  replied  Armand-Louis,  "that  the  entire 
squadron  may  pace  whithersoever  the  company  has  made 
a  way." 

"What's  better  still,"  continued  Renaud,  "the  more 
numerous  we  are  the  less  we  shall  be  remarked." 

"There's  a  ridtUe  I  will  not  undertake  to  solve,"  said 
M.  de  St.  Paer.  "The  important  thing  to  know  is  whether 
you  accept." 

"I  accept!"  cried  Armand-Louis. 

Every  hat  was  flung  in  the  air.    They  cried : 

"Long  live  the  Count  of  La  Gucrrhc!     Long  live  the 


i68       THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUERCHE 

Marquis  of  Chaufontaine."    They  pressed  around  them, 
embraced  them..    It  was  a  very  explosion  of  joy. 

"And  now  that,  thanks  to  me,  everybody  is  of  accord," 
said  M.  de  Collonges,  "may  one  with  discretion  ask 
whither  we  are  to  go  ?" 

"We  are  going  to  Bohemia,"  repeated  Armand-Louis, 
"and  when  we  shall  have  reached  there,  this  army  of  Wal- 
lenstein  will  be  between  us  and  the  Swedes." 

"It  could  not  be  more  clearly  said.  We  shall  be  as 
Daniel  in  the  lion's  den,"  said  M.  de  Berail. 

"With  the  distinction  that  Daniel  was  a  prophet  and  we 
are  but  poor  sinners." 

"So  that  we  have  some  chance  of  being  devoured  by 
lions." 

"In  faith,"  grunted  M.  d'Aigrefeuille,  "I  pity  the  im- 
molators,"  and  he  clapped  the  heavy  hilt  of  his  sword. 

"Now  that  we  are  in  Bohemia,"  continued  M.  de  Col- 
longes, "what  do  we  do  there?" 

"We  seek  out  a  stronghold  called  Drachenfeld  Castle." 

"Suppose  we  have  found  it.    Then?" 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Armand-Louis,  "in  this  castle  dwell 
two  ladies  whom  several  of  you  have  known ;  Madem- 
oiselle de  Pardaillan  and  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny. 
They  are  kept  captive ;  both  their  faith  and  their  hearts 
are  threatened.  M.  de  Chaufontaine  and  I  have  sworn  to 
deliver  them  or  lose  our  lives.  But  the  swords  of  two 
men,  however  devoted,  cannot  overcome  all  obstacles. 
This  is  why  I  have  made  call  upon  your  chivalry.  We 
will  conquer  together  or  perish  together.  As  for  me,  gen- 
tlemen, I  swear  to  return  with  them  or  not  to  return  at 
all." 

Three  hundred  swords  suddenly  flashed  in  the  sun- 
light and  this  valiant  body  of  youth,  exalted  by  one  of 
those  bursts  of  enthusiasm  which  are  the  appanage  of 
noble  hearts  and  generous  natures,  made  oath  to  devote 
their  last  drop  of  blood  to  the  cause  of  Armand-Louis 
and  Renaud. 

"When  you  give  the  signal  to  set  out,  we  shall  be 
ready,"  said  M.  de  Berail  to  Armand-Louis. 

"Then,  gentlemen,"   replied  he  ,smiling,    "have   your 


THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUERCHE      169 

horses  saddled  and  bridled  to-morrow.  You  have  one 
night  left  to  say  farewell  to  those  you  love." 

Renaud  was  not  the  only  one  to  whom  Armand-Louis 
had  confided  his  project.  As  soon  as  ]\Iagnus  was  in- 
formed of  it,  the  old  reiter,  who  held  no  enterprise,  how- 
ever dangerous,  to  be  impossible,  together  with  his  com- 
rade Rudiger,  had  set  about  beating  the  country  with  the 
activity  of  ants.  At  the  end  of  the  day  they  returned  with 
three  or  four  wagons  loaded  with  a  mass  of  Imperial  uni- 
forms, where,  thanks  to  the  skirmishes  that  were  of  daily 
occurrence,  these  objects  were  not  wanting.  Carquefou, 
who  assisted  at  the  unloading,  opened  wide  his  eyes  at  the 
sight  of  so  many  cloaks,  coats,  mantles,  doublets  and 
belts  of  the  Austrian  colors.  There  was  enough  to  clothe 
an  army. 

"Great  Jove !"  he  exclaimed,  "for  whom  are  all  these 
things?" 

"For  us,"  replied  Magnus. 

Armand-Louis.  who  appeared  then,  congratulated 
Magnus  and  Rudiger  on  their  excellent  selection. 

"\\'e  must  begin  with  a  ruse/'  said  Magnus.  "Force 
always  comes  soon  enough." 

"Always  too  soon,"  commented  Carquefou,  to  whom 
this  odyssey  into  the  country  of  the  enemy  seemed  like  a 
defiance  flung  at  Lucifer. 

The  disguise  proposed  by  Magnus  was  in  truth  the  only 
means  for  crossing  the  lines  of  Wallenstein's  army  with- 
out difficulty,  or  at  least  without  too  much  danger. 
Nevertheless  it  required  some  effort  to  convince  certain 
of  the  young  gentlemen  of  this  who  could  not  bear  the 
thought  of  shielding  their  skins  under  the  hated  cockade. 
They  had  never,  they  said,  hidden  either  their  names  or 
their  faces.     They  wished  no  mask. 

"Gentlemen,"  cried  Magnus,  impatiently,  "why  do  you 
not  rather  send  word  to  the  Duke  of  Friedland  of  the  day 
of  your  departure  and  the  road  you  are  taking?" 

At  length  the  punctilious  ones  ceded  and  none  thought 
of  anything  save  of  preparations  for  the  morrow.  An  ex- 
traordinary animati<jn  reigned  in  the  Dragoons'  quarters 
during  the  whole  night.  Busy  men  came  and  went; 
some   groomed   their   horses   or   furbished   their   arms ; 


170       THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUERCHE 

Others  wrote  farewell  letters;  while  furtive  sighs  made 
their  bosoms  heave.  The  younger  ones  sang  songs  of 
their  distant  fatherland;  others  knelt  in  remote  corners 
in  prayer.  Diverse  though  their  occupations  were,  the 
same  fire  shone  in  every  visage.  Not  for  anything  in  the 
world  would  the  soberest  of  them  have  renounced  this 
mad  expedition. 

The  rumor  had  spread  to  the  Swedish  camp  and  with 
it  the  fever.  It  was  much  feared  that  the  most  of  these 
braves  who  were  to  take  saddle  at  the  first  streak  of  dawn 
would  never  be  seen  again.  But  among  the  of^cers 
grouped  about  the  king,  a  goodly  number  would  willinglv 
have  joined  them  and  none  dreamed  of  dissuading  them 
from  their  undertaking.  At  the  first  sound  of  the  morn- 
ing trumpet  all  the  troop  was  afoot,  beside  their  steeds. 
The  whole  army  had  gathered  to  assist  at  the  setting  out 
of  the  La  Guerche  Dragoons  to  hail  them  with  acclaim. 
When  they  broke  away,  every  hat  flew  in  the  air  and  a 
chorus  of  a  thousand  cries  echoed  to  heaven. 

The  sun  shone  radiantly,  the  sky  was  in  holiday  dress. 
The  three  hundred  dragoons  rode  proudly  round  the  line 
of  the  camp  and  drew  up  in  battle  array  before  the  tent 
of  Gustavus  Adolphus,  who  had  come  out  to  honor  this 
picked  body  of  men. 

He  uncovered  and  three  hundred  swords  sparkled  in 
the  sun. 

"Good  luck  and  God  guard  you,  gentlemen,"  cried  the 
king  with  emotion. 

"God  give  us  victory  as  he  gives  it  to  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus," answered  the  dragoons. 

The  king  embraced  Armand-Louis,  the  bugles  sounded 
and  the  troop  rode  on,  their  horses'  heads  pointed  south- 
ward. Far  away  could  be  discerned  the  smoke  of  the 
Austrian  outposts. 

Magnus  rode  ahead.  He  acted  as  guide  and  was  seek- 
ing to  distinguish  himself  by  leading  the  dragoons  to 
Drachenfeld  Castle  by  the  shortest  route. 

He  had  taken  the  broadest  and  most  frequented  road. 

"If  we  do  not  wish  to  be  seen,"  he  said,  "we  must  not 
hide  ourselves." 


THE  DRAGOONS  OF  LA  GUEROHE       171 

"We  arc  like  the  Argonauts  who  went  in  quest  of  the 
golden  fleece,"  cried  M.  de  Collonges. 

"With  the  difference  that  our  golden  fleece  consists  of 
two  golden  heads,"  corrected  M.  de  licrail. 

"What  a  conquest  it  will  be  for  us !"  added  M.  de  Saint- 
Paer. 

"We  might  also  be  compared  to  three  hundred  Persei 
going  forth  to  the  rescue  of  two  Andromedas,"  said  M. 
d'Arrandes. 

'in  faith,  long  live  war!"  cried  M.  de  \'olras  gaily,  "in 
that  alone  is  life." 

"When  there's  not  death  in  it,"  Carquefou  murmured 
low. 

There  was  no  dearth  of  talk  ;  they  laughed  and  made  a 
great  commotion. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  JMagnus,  suddenly,  "let  us  not  talk 
too  much  French  now.      u'e  are  in  the  enemy's  territory." 

lie  pointed  out  to  the  Huguenots  a  company  of  Croa- 
tian cavalry  driving  a  herd  of  cows  before  them  across 
the  ford  of  a  stream. 

"The  Rubicon  is  passed!"  cried  M.  de  Collonges, 
whose  joy  was  so  great  that  he  made  his  horse  perform  a 
couple  of  pirouettes. 

"Alas!"  murnuired  Carquefou,  and  he  sadly  crossed 
himself  three  times. 


172  A  HALT  IN   THE   SHADOW  OF  A  WALL 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A  HALT  IN  THE  SHADOW  OF  A  WALL. 

The  squadron  rode  on  bravely  without  meeting  any  ob- 
stacle in  a  country  mottled  on  all  sides  by  the  uniforms  of 
a  hundred  foreign  soldiers.  Hardly  an  hour  passed  that 
they  did  not  meet  some  of  them.  The  most  passed  un- 
questioning. When  it  chanced  that  a  captain  interro- 
gated Magnus,  who,  with  Rudiger,  had  taken  the  white 
horse  and  clarion  of  a  trumpeter,  a  reply  was  ever 
promptly  vouchsafed.  Sometimes  Armand-Louis,  who 
rode  at  the  head  of  the  cavaliers,  was  questioned. 

One  day  they  said  they  belonged  to  the  army  of  Wal- 
lenstein,  and  that  they  were  going  into  garrison  in  a  place 
in  Suabia.  On  the  morrow,  they  were  of  the  Pappenheim 
regiments,  marching  toward  the  frontier  of  Bohemia 
which  was  menaced  by  the  Swedes.  The  next  day,  they 
were  in  the  service  of  Duke  Charles  of  Lorraine  and  they 
were  making  a  flank  march.  According  to  the  circum- 
stances and  the  various  officers  they  met,  they  were  in 
turn  Italian,  Spanish,  Hungarian  or  Polish. 

Day  by  day  they  steadily  advanced.  Each  time  they 
broke  in  halt  Carquefou  sighed. 

"We  are  as  so  many  fishes  with  a  hundred  nets 
stretched  in  their  pool,"  he  said ;  "the  weave  is  coming 
closer  together." 

Honest  Carquefou's  unquietude  was  felt  by  the  others, 
but  in  an  inverse  sense.  They  looked  upon  it  as  a  pil- 
grimage, or  a  journey  in  search  of  new  scenes. 

Some  of  the  gentlemen  complained.  "Marquis,  you 
have  played  upon  our  faith,"  said  M.  de  Collonges  to 
Renaud.     "Where  are  the  dangers?     The  battles?" 

"Patience,"  replied  Renaud,  astonished  to  hear  him- 
self utter  the  word. 

"You  promised  us  a  storm  of  sword  blows,"  interposed 
M.  de  Berail.     "I  am  looking  for  it,  but  in  vain." 


A  HALT    IN  TIIK    SHADOW  OI-   A  WAI.L  173 

"Is  Pappenheini  a  phantom?"  asked  M.  d'Aigrefcuillc. 
"You  promised  to  let  us  see  liim." 

"  "Tis  no  longer  an  expedition,  but  a  journey.  We 
should  have  carriages,''  cried  ]\I.  de  Saint-Paer.  "With 
a  few  violins  and  flutes  we  could  give  a  ball,"  added  M. 
d'Arrandes. 

Some  scraps  of  this  and  similar  conversations  reached 
the  ears  of  Magnus. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  said,  smiling,  "don't  be  impatient. 
Everything  comes  to  him  who  waits.  To  go  into  this 
country  is  nothing;  to  get  out  of  it  is  everything.  Mag- 
nus has  sung  many  songs  which  began  with  a  burst  of 
laughter  and  ended  with  a  De  Profundis." 

One  morning  he  informed  the  dragoons  that  they  had 
crossed  the  borders  of  Bohemia. 

"So  well  that  we  are  in  the  heart  of  the  place,"  said  M. 
de  Collonges. 

"^'ou  mean  in  the  fire,"  said  Carquefou,  sadly. 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  continued  Magnus,  "I  have  but  one 
suggestion  to  make  to  you.  Remember  that  a  single  im- 
prudence means  the  death  of  all  of  us." 

"Quite  short,  but  clearly  said,"  answered  M.  de  Derail, 
saluting  him. 

Rudiger,  who  knew  Bohemia  as  a  gardener  knows  his 
garden,  from  the  fact  that  he  had  served  under  Count 
Thurn.  was  sent  out  as  scout  as  soon  as  the  troop  reached 
the  vicinity  of  Drachenfeld.  At  a  glance  one  could  see 
in  him  a  man  of  the  same  race  as  Magnus,  inured  to  all 
hardships  and  ready  even  to  risk  his  head  on  the  cast  of  a 
die. 

The  surprise  of  living  in  the  company  of  men  for  whom 
honor  and  devotion  were  more  than  mere  words  was  as 
great  as  was  his  desire  to  imitate  them.  He  set  out  alone 
on  foot.  He  wore  a  forester's  jacket  and  a  fox-skin  cap. 
The  dragoons  laid  their  bivouac  in  a  wood. 

They  waited  for  him  to  return  until  evening.  Night 
fell  and  he  had  not  yet  returned.  Renaud  was  beginning 
to  suspect  that  Rudiger  might  have  sold  the  secret  of 
their  expedition  to  Madame  d'Igomer,  wlien  lie  reap- 
peared.    His  head  was  low,  his  forehead  care-stricken. 

"What  news?"  asked  Armand-Louis. 


174  A  HALT    IN  THE   SHADOW  OF  A  WALL 

"The  man  of  Ravennest  is  at  Drachenfeld,"  answered 
Rudiger. 

"Mattheus  Orlscopp?" 

"He  is  in  command  of  the  castle." 

"So  much  the  better,"  cried  Renaud.  "This  time  I'll 
hang  him." 

At  daybreak  they  resumed  their  march.  Armand- 
Louis  and  Renaud,  in  unrecognizable  disguise  of  beard 
and  hair,  rode  at  the  head  of  the  band.  Rudiger  retained 
his  forester's  dress.  Magnus  wore  the  costume  of  a  char- 
coal-burner. Carquefou  was  disguised  as  a  raftsman.  He 
carried  a  pole  with  an  iron  hook,  and  wore  great  boots. 
These  three  advanced  on  foot.  At  noon  they  beheld  the 
towers  of  a  castle  rising  above  the  crest  of  a  hill. 

"Drachenfeld !"  Rudiger  explained  tranquilly. 

These  three  syllables  sent  a  chill  through  the  veins  of 
Armand-Louis  and  Renaud.  Behind  those  formidable 
walls  breathed  Adrienne  and  Diana. 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  said  Magnus,  "the  siege  begins." 

Then  at  a  rather  slow  gait  he  made  his  way  toward  the 
postern  of  the  castle. 

Madame  d'lgomer  had  returned  to  Drachenfeld  the  day 
after  she  had  received  Renaud  in  the  pavilion  at  Nurem- 
berg. From  the  first  moment  they  looked  at  her  on  this 
occasion  the  two  young  ladies  understood  that  something 
grave  had  occurred. 

But  they  could  learn  nothing  from  her.  With 
Mattheus,  Thecla  was  more  frank. 

"Redouble  your  vigilance."  she  said  to  him.  "The 
wolves  know  where  the  sheepfold  is." 

"Please  God  they'll  come  hither.  My  only  fear  is  that 
they  may  find  the  road  too  difficult,"  replied  Mattheus. 

"One  would  say  you  did  not  know  them,"  added  Mad- 
ame d'lgomer. 

Meanwhile  the  days  sped  by  and  naught  was  discov- 
ered that  might  justly  the  belief  of  Madame  d'lgomer. 
The  scouts  sent  by  Mattheus  in  every  direction  saw  no 
man  of  suspicious  appearance.  Two  or  three  of  them  had 
met  the  La  Guerche  squadron.  But  they  were  consid- 
ered merely  as  adventurers. 

They  had  spoken  with  some  of  the  dragoons ;  but  they 


A  HALT    IN  TIIF,    SHADOW  OF  A  WALL  175 

had  not  thought  it  worth  while  to  inform  the  governor  of 
the  castle  of  their  presence. 

One  morning  a  charcoal-burner  appeared  at  the  gate  of 
the  castle  and  asked  to  speak  to  the  steward. 

"In  a  valley,  a  short  league  from  here,"  he  explained, 
"there's  a  troop  of  cavalry  which  would  like  to  breakfast 
here.  They  look  like  Poles  or  Spaniards,  and  seem  to 
have  a  great  appetite.  They  took  all  they  could  find  in 
our  cabins  at  a  mouthful.  I  offered  to  go  seek  something 
for  them  to  eat.  They  are  going  to  join  the  army.  You'll 
see  whether  'tis  worth  the  trouble  to  take  them  in.  I 
saw  a  big  round  purse  in  the  belt  of  the  leader.  The 
others  have  sabres  and  pistols.  They  swear  they'll  pay 
for  everything." 

The  steward  went  to  Mattheus.  Mattheus  ordered  five 
or  six  lackeys  to  attend  him  and  he  rode  out  to  find  what 
sort  of  men  these  might  be  who  were  Poles  passing  for 
Spaniards.  In  the  meantime  Magnus  took  good  care  to 
lose  himself  in  the  castle.  While  wearing  a  stupid  air, 
he  ferreted  into  every  corner.  He  saw  many  warriors, 
but  neither  Adrienne  nor  Diana. 

The  steward  who  had  been  looking  everywhere  for  him 
found  him  lying  on  the  rampart.  At  this  the  steward 
frowned. 

"Sir,"  began  Magnus,  "I  believed  you  had  forgotten 
me.  I've  been  beating  about  for  an  hour  trying  to  find  3 
way  out.  Show  me  to  the  door,  please.  There's  no 
doubt  but  that  the  Spaniards  will  skin  me  alive  if  I  don't 
bring  them  an  answer." 

"An  answer!"  cried  the  steward,  giving  him  a  shove, 
"they  have  it  already.     Begone,  varlet !" 

Magnus  crossed  the  drawbridge  lightly.  IIo  reached 
the  bivouac  just  as  Mattheus  was  kaving  it. 

To  insure  safety,  M.  de  Derail  had  taken  command  in 
place  of  Armand-Louis.  M.  de  Berail,  who  spoke  Italian 
and  Spanish  fluently,  gave  out  that  he  was  the  captain  of 
a  free  company  which  was  being  sent  from  Milan  to  the 
army  of  Wallenstein. 

Mattheus  asked  him  some  fjuestions.  less,  perhaps,  in 
fear  of  a  surjjrise  than  by  force  of  habit.     M.  de  Berail 


176  A  HALT   IN  THE   SHADOW  OF  A  WALL 

had  an  apt  and  easy  answer  for  everything.  He  enjoyed 
the  game. 

"My  entire  troop  is  in  need  of  rest,"  he  said,  finally. 
"If  I  were  assured  of  meat  for  my  men  and  fodder  for 
their  horses,  I  should  like  to  remain  here  for  a  few  days." 

"You  will  have  everything  you  need,"  replied  Mattheus. 
"In  return,  if  I  should  have  need  of  some  soldiers  for 
work  hereabouts,  you  will  furnish  them  to  me." 

The  governor  and  the  captain  separated,  each  en- 
chanted with  the  ether. 

"He  would  have  looked  fine  hanging  from  that  dead 
branch,"  said  Renaud  as  he  watched  Mattheus  retire. 

"Bah!"  cried  M.  de  Collonges.  "The  dead  branch 
won't  leave  its  place." 

On  the  return  of  Magnus  a  council  was  held. 

"The  camp  is  assured  for  eight  days  at  least,"  said  M. 
de  Berail.  "That's  a  longer  time  than  'twill  take  to  sack 
the  place." 

"Above  all,  if  we  make  the  attack  to-night,"  said  M.  de 
Saint- Paer.     "My  sword  is  rusting  in  its  scabbard." 

"Thou  who  hast  seen  Drachenfeld,"  asked  Armand- 
Louis  of  Magnus,  "what  dost  thou  think  of  it?" 

"An  attack  is  impossible.  There  is  a  garrison  of  two 
hundred  men,  not  counting  the  lackeys.  I  saw  nothing 
but  cannons,  falconets  and  blunderbusses.  The  moats 
are  deep,  the  walls  thick,  the  drawbridge  provided  with 
harrows.  Lions  must  yield  place  to  foxes.  We  shall  be 
very  wretched  if  we  don't  find  a  means  of  getting  inside 
of  the  fortress." 

"Is  it  not  the  same  here  as  it  was  at  Ravennest?"  asked 
Carquefou,  who  pitched  into  a  conversation  whenever  the 
mood  was  on  him.  "Don't  you  know  of  some  accommo- 
dating imderground  path  by  which  we  could  comfortably 
glide  into  the  cellars  of  Drachenfeld?  I  should  have  an 
exceeding  pleasure  in  surprising  Lord  Mattheus  in  bed 
again." 

"Alas,  no,"  answered  Magnus,  shaking  his  gray  head. 
"There's  neither  a  hole  in  the  wall,  a  tunnel  under  the 
towers,  nor  a  cave  in  the  rocks.  But  since  I  got  in  there 
once,  we'll  all  manage  to  do  so." 

.While  the  dragoons  consulted  tmder  the  walls  of  the 


A   HAI/r    IN  THE   SHADOW  OF  A  WALL  177 

Stronghold,  the  PVanciscan  monk  and  Madame  de  Lif- 
fenbach,  each  in  turn,  left  the  two  cousins  no  respite. 
Prayers  and  admonitions  followed  each  other.  Despite 
their  patience  and  their  good  courage,  their  strength  be- 
gan to  fail.  They  suffered  fits  of  fever  and  hours  of  de- 
pression in  which  they  fled  from  each  other's  presence. 
The  thought  that  Armand-Louis  and  Rcnaud  had  for- 
gotten them  sometimes  assailed  their  brain.  They  suf- 
fered horrible  tortures.  They  repelled  this  thought,  but 
it  returned  ever  like  those  light  and  tenacious  enemies 
who  harass  a  good  knight.  Again,  they  might  be  dead. 
Tears  followed  to  ease  their  anguish-torn  hearts. 

The  prisoners  of  John  of  Werth  and  Count  Pappen- 
heim  were  meanwhile  well  remembered.  These  gentle 
swains  sent  them  flowers  and  gilded  fruits  in  silver 
baskets.  With  them  the  fair  women  should  have  riches, 
honors,  pleasures,  rank,  consideration — in  a  word,  all 
worldly  goods  that  could  be  desired.  If.  on  the  con- 
trary, the  young  ladies  continued  to  repel  them,  solitude 
should  be  their  dole  until  their  bright  youth  should  be  ex- 
tinguished by  the  icy  austerities  of  the  cloister.  They 
must,  therefore,  have  no  illusions.  To  be  sure,  it  was  no 
longer  a  question  of  marrying  them  by  surprise  and 
against  their  will.  The  intervention  of  the  Papal  Legate 
had  delivered  them  from  this  peril.  But  the  Duke  of 
Friedland  having  spoken  after  the  legate,  time  was  al- 
lowed to  them  to  reflect.  It  was  a  kind  of  novitiate. 
They  should  not  leave  the  castle,  where  a  few  pleasures 
were  arranged  for  them,  except  to  be  buried  in  a  convent. 
Inflexible  as  they  were,  they  were  their  own  executioners 
and  could  blame  none  but  themselves  for  the  lot  which 
was  reserved  for  them. 

These  discourses  were  served  under  all  forms.  The 
Franciscan  monk  gave  them  conmientaries  in  a  horrid 
voice.  Madame  de  LifFenbach  spoke  with  an  air  of  au- 
thority. It  was  hoped  that  the  two  cousins  would  be- 
come wearied  ;  that  fatigue  and  disenchantment  should 
lead  them  to  a  capitulation  that  would  accomplish  all  the 
prayers  of  Madame  d'Igomer.  The  latter's  patient  wait- 
ing was  recompensed  by  the  enduring  pleasure  of  the 
moral  suffering  she  was  inflicting  on  the  two  captives. 


178  A  HALT   IN  THE    SHADOW  OP  A  WALL 

The  suspense,  anxiety,  the  torment  of  knowing  naught 
and  fearing  all,  the  daily  persecution,  the  incertitude  in- 
creasing day  by  day,  the  silence  which  gives  access  to 
chimeras,  homesickness,  imprisonment  in  a  castle  where 
everything  speaks  of  what  is  hateful  to  one,  monotonous 
days  of  threatening,  pleasures  offered  by  hated  hands  and 
to  which  they  had  to  resign  themselves  in  the  midst  of 
inimical  faces,  the  imagination  a  prey  to  every  wild  dream 
and  half  maddened  by  the  sweet  daily  exhortations,  which 
produced  on  the  irritated  minds  of  the  prisoners  the  cruel, 
intolerable  sensation  of  a  drop  of  water  ceaselessly  falling 
on  the  aching  forehead  of  a  sick  person — all  this  was 
equal  to  the  corporal  barbarities  which  Mattheus  had  in- 
flicted on  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud. 

The  delicate,  nervous  woman  proved  herself  the  peer  of 
the  brutal  and  ferocious  men.  He  aimed  at  the  flesh ;  she 
at  the  heart. 

"If  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  and  Mademoiselle  de 
Souvigny  should  die  now,"  Madame  d'Igomer  said,  "it 
will  not  be  my  fault.  I  have  not  laid  a  hand  on  them  nor 
have  I  allowed  anyone  else  to  do  so." 

The  very  day  on  which  the  squadron  of  Armand-Louis 
lay  in  bivouac  under  the  cannons  of  the  castle,  Madame 
d'Igomer  entered  the  apartment  of  the  two  cousins. 

"Good  news,"  she  said  gaily,  "John  of  Werth  is  soon 
going  to  pay  us  a  visit.  He  cannot  live  any  longer  with- 
out you,  dear  Adrienne.  When  Count  Pappenheim 
learns  that  the  Bavarian  is  here,  I  am  sure  that  he  will 
desert  to  fling  himself  at  the  feet  of  his  beloved  Diana. 
Make  yourselves  beautiful  to  receive  them." 

Adrienne  and  Diana  at  once  made  a  resolve  to  wear 
only  their  simplest  clothes.  But  when  they  awoke  in  the 
morning  all  their  linen  and  woollens  had  disappeared. 
In  their  stead  they  had  but  to  choose  between  silks,  laces 
and  velvets  scattered  in  profusion  about  the  room. 

"Ah,  my  pretty  coquettes,"  said  Madame  d'Igomer, 
clapping  her  hands  when  she  saw  them  in  their  gorgeous 
attire,  "you  have  not  lost  a  minute !" 

Touched  by  this  example  of  feminine  zeal,  Madame 
d'Igomer  confided  to  tliem  tliat  she  proposed  to  celebrate 


A   HALT    IN  THE    SHADOW   OF  A  WALL  179 

the  arrival  of  John  of  Worth  by  magnificent  entertain- 
ments. 

"You  will  be  the  Queen  of  the  Fetes,"  she  said  to  Ad- 
rienne.  Then  turning  toward  Diana,  she  added  sooth- 
ingly:  "Be  not  jealous,  my  dear  Diana,  your  turn  will 
come  later." 


i8o  WHAT  WOMAN  WILlvS 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

WHAT  WOMAN  WILLS. 

A  kind  of  intimacy  had  sprung  up  between  the  castle 
governed  by  Mattheus  and  the  wood  in  which  the  dra- 
goons were  encamped.  Magnus  profited  of  this  to  fre- 
quent the  walls  of  Drachenfeld,  whose  every  nook  and 
cranny  was  soon  familiar  to  him.  He  changed  his  guise 
more  easily  and  quickly  than  a  chameleon.  Now  a  char- 
coal-burner, now  a  porter,  he  avoided  all  suspicion.  On 
one  occasion  he  yielded  to  the  request  of  Armand-Louis 
and  crossed  the  portcullis  of  the  castle  in  company  with 
his  master  disguised  as  a  pilgrim. 

At  the  stroke  of  one  they  saw  a  door  at  the  end  of  a 
gallery  open,  whence  appeared  a  little  band  which  moved 
toward  the  chapel.  It  was  raining  that  day  and  Madame 
d'Igomer  felt  a  need  of  prayer.  Behind  the  stiff  and 
pompous  Madame  de  Lififenbach  came  the  two  young 
ladies,  wearing  long  veils  of  lace,  embroidered  with  gold, 
which  hid  the  elegance  of  their  robes.  But  what  a  pale- 
ness marked  their  brows !  They  looked  as  two  statues 
torn  from  the  marble  of  a  tomb.  Picture  Armand-Louis 
as  he  recognized  Adrienne  and  Diana ! 

A  cry  almost  broke  from  his  lips.  Magnus,  who  was 
kneeling  at  his  side,  seized  his  arm. 

"Not  a  word,  a  stir,"  murmured  the  veteran,  "or  you 
will  lose  all." 

Armand-Louis  restrained  himself,  though  he  shook 
like  a  tree  in  a  storm. 

"Stretch  out  your  hand,"  whispered  Magnus,  "are  you 
not  a  pilgrim  and  should  you  not  ask  alms." 

The  band  passed  close  to  them.  The  skirt  of  Adrienne 
swept  the  pilgrim's  gown.  Unable  to  master  his  emo- 
tions, Armand-Louis  bore  the  rich  waving  stufif  to  his 
lips.     Adrienne  slackened  her  steps  and  letting  fall  a  piece 


WHAT  WOMAN  WILLS  i8i 

of  money  into  the  hands  of  the  unknown  beggar,  she 
said : 

"Pray  for  me !" 

The  voice  was  so  sad  that  the  eyes  of  the  Huguenot 
filled  with  tears. 

"Bend  low,"  murmured  the  ever-watchful  Magnus, 
"here  comes  Lord  Mattheus." 

The  knees  of  Armand-Louis  remained  nailed,  as  it 
were,  to  the  tloor,  but  when  he  stood  up  the  t^ames  of  an- 
ger and  daring  flooded  his  countenance. 

"I  leave  my  heart  in  this  place  or  I  save  her,"  he  swore. 

On  the  fourth  morning  after  the  arrival  of  the  dragoons 
the  trumpets  sounded  anew  in  the  wood.  A  squadron  of 
Croatians  was  passing.  These  troops  had  marched  over 
the  whole  of  Austria  to  gain  the  theatre  of  war.  They 
halted  to  repose  after  the  fatigues  of  their  long  travel. 
Some  of  the  Huguenot  gentlemen  paid  them  a  visit. 

"Gentlemen,  let  us  rejoice,"  said  M.  de  Collonges.  when 
he  returned  that  evening,  enchanted  with  his  excursion. 
"We  shall  play  a  little  before  fighting.  Everything  went 
so  well  during  our  visit  that  we  have  had  the  good  fortune 
to  arrange  four  or  five  duels  for  to-morow.  This  is  the 
sowing  of  the  seed." 

"We'll  reap  the  harvest,"  cried  M.  dAigrefeuille  de- 
lightedly. 

The  promised  duels  took  place  at  the  rising^of  the  sun 
in  a  glade  at  an  equal  distance  from  cither  camp.  Two 
of  the  Croatians  were  killed  and  a  third  grievously 
wounded.  M.  de  Voltras  sustained  a  scratch  on  the 
arm. 

By  careful  management  the  Croatian  sc|uadron  might 
last  fifteen  days. 

"Then  we'll  have  to  fast,"  said  M.  de  Saint-Paer. 

While  the  dragoons  were  beguiling  their  tedious  so- 
journ in  the  wood,  Magnus  had  discovered  a  young  and 
pretty  gypsy  who  came  and  went  unmolested  in  the  cas- 
tle. She  belonged  to  a  tribe  whose  tents  jutted  from  the 
foot  of  a  hill  not  far  from  Drachcnfeld.  She  seemed  to 
be  about  sixteen  years  old.  vShe  was  met  at  all  hours  on 
the  postern  path  with  her  tambourine.     It  was  rare  that 


i82  WHAT  WOMAN  WILLS 

some  of  the  officers  did  not  watch  her  as  she  issued  from 
the  gate. 

Magnus  persuaded  a  few  women  and  lackeys  into  con- 
versation. He  learned  that  the  gypsy  frequently  saw  Ad- 
rienne  and  Diana,  who  seemed  to  feel  a  friendship  for  her. 
She  danced  and  told  them  tales.  One  of  the  governor's 
lieutenants,  Patricio  Bempo,  found  her  very  much  to  his 
taste. 

"Perhaps  the  road  to  the  castle  lies  there,"  Magnus 
thought,  scratching  his  ear.  "If  we  get  the  gypsy,  we 
will  have  Patricio  Bempo,  and  if  we  get  Patricio,  we  will 
have  Drachenfeld." 

In  his  turn  by  apparent  accident  he  haunted  the  little 
savage,  who  smiled  and  showed  her  flawless  white  teeth 
whenever  Patricio  Bempo  spoke  to  her.  What  surprised 
Magnus  was  that  when  the  gypsy  fixed  her  coal-black 
eyes  upon  himself,  there  was  a  significant  something  in 
her  look  which  he  could  not  understand.  He  fancied  he 
had  seen  this  face  somewhere  before  now.  But  despite 
his  efforts  he  could  not  remember  where. 

"I  have  seen  so  many  faces,  young  and  old,  glad  and 
sorrowful,  pretty  and  ugly — a  whole  ocean  of  them,"  he 
said  to  himself. 

One  evening  he  found  her  alone  on  the  edge  of  the 
forest,  running  like  a  fawn.  He  accosted  her  resolutely. 
She  stopped  suddenly. 

"Will  it  please  you,  my  child,"  he  said,  "to  render  a 
service  to  a  gentleman  who  will  be  happy  to  pass  a  neck- 
lace of  a  hundred  gold  ducats  about  your  pretty  throat? 
Gold  like  this  ring,  which  will  fit  your  finger  so  well." 

The  gypsy  did  not  even  look  at  the  ring  which  Magnus 
had  just  drawn  from  his  pocket. 

"In  your  turn,"  she  replied,  "will  it  please  you  to  lead 
me  to  this  gentleman  ?  When  I  shall  have  seen  him,  per- 
haps I  will  be  more  disposed  to  perform  whatever  he  may 
need  of  me." 

Magnus  hesitated. 

"The  Spanish  camp  is  not  far  away,"  she  added  smil- 
ing.   "Go  thither,  I  follow  you." 

But  she  rather  preceded  than  followed  him.  Magnus 
kept  close  to  her,  and  studied  her  from  the  corner  of  his 


WHAT  WOMAN  WILLS  183 

eye.  In  the  depths  of  his  memory  he  recalled  a  face  much 
resemhling  hers,  as  one  sees,  but  does  not  grasp  the  traits 
of  a  countenance  reflected  in  the  water  of  a  fountain.  The 
gypsy  hastened  onward.  She  bounded  like  a  deer  through 
the  forest.  After  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  without  having 
looked  back  once,  she  reached  the  camp,  and  standing 
upon  a  hillock,  she  cast  an  inquiring  gaze  over  it. 

"Why  do  you  seek  a  cavalier  you  do  not  know?"  Mag- 
nus asked  her. 

"Who  has  said  I  do  not  know  him?  Besides,  you  for- 
get that  I  belong  to  a  race  that  possesses  the  gift  of  sec- 
ond sight." 

A  group  of  dragoons  stood  at  the  edge  of  the  camp. 
The  gypsy  went  rapidly  thither  and  approached  a  cavalier 
who  was  seated  on  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  birch. 

"Count  of  La  Guerche,"  she  asked  quietly,  "what  can  1 
do  for  you?' 

Armand-Louis  trembled.  Magnus  seized  the  gypsy  by 
the  arm. 

"Thoti  knowest  things,"  he  murmured,  "that  it  is  not 
well  to  know." 

"If  you  no  longer  remember  Yerta,"  she  continued, 
keeping  her  gaze  upon  Armand-Louis.  and  not  seeking  to 
free  herself  from  the  veteran's  grasp,  "Yerta  has  forgotten 
nothing." 

"Yerta!    'Tis  thou,  little  Yerta!"  cried  Armand-Louis. 

"Myself!  If  you  have  passed  close  to  me  without  rec- 
ognizing me,  my  eyes  and  heart  at  once  divined  who  you 
were." 

"Then  this  is  why  I  always  saw  this  dark  glance  in 
spirit."  said  Magnus,  releasing  her,  "but  if  you  knew  us 
so  well  why  did  you  not  discover  yourself?" 

"The  Count  of  La  Ouerchc  wore  a  dress  that  did  not 
belong  to  him.  His  disguise  and  yours  might  deceive  all 
eyes  except  those  of  a  gypsy.  I  thought  that  you  did  not 
wish  to  be  known,  and  I  acted  as  though  I  did  not  see 
you." 

"A  child  with  the  heart  of  a  man  !'  murmured  Magnus. 

"I  have  the  heart  of  a  woman  who  does  not  forget.  If 
you  have  need  of  Yerta  now,  Yerta  is  yours." 

She  crossed  her  arms  on  her  bosom  and  waited. 


i84  WHAT  WOMAN  WILLS 

"Well,  Yerta,"  cried  Armand-Louis,  "thou  canst  pay  a 
hundred  fold  in  one  day  what  I  did  for  you." 

"Command;  I  obey." 

"Thou  enterest  and  leavest  Drachenfeld  Castle  freely?" 

"As  freely  as  a  bird  flies  in  the  forest." 

"Thou  must  have  seen  two  young  ladies  within  there — 
iwo  prisoners." 

"I  have  seen  them.  One  laughs  sometimes,  the  other 
prays.    Both  are  beautiful  as  morning." 

"Yerta,  thou  must  help  me  save  them." 

"The  tongue  speaks  of  two  young  lad'es ;  but  the  heart 
thinks  only  of  one.  She  is  fair,  with  eyes  bluer  and 
sweeter  than  heaven,  sadder  than  night.  She  prays  much 
and  her  name  is  Adrienne." 

"What !  Thou  knowest " 

"In  your  tent  on  the  battlefield  of  Leipzig  there  hung 
a  medallion  between  two  swords.  When  I  saw  a  woman 
at  Drachenfeld,  whose  features  resembled  those  painted 
on  the  medallion,  I  felt  that  some  day  you  would  come 
and  that  is  why  I  waited." 

"Good,  Yerta !" 

"She  for  whom  you  have  risked  a  thousand  deaths  is 
not  ungrateful.  Had  I  not  known  it,  I  would  have 
guessed  it  from  her  sadness.  Alas,  they  whose  hearts  are 
captured  are  not  gay." 

A  sigh  swelled  Yerta's  bosom ;  then  she  glanced 
toward  the  wood,  saying : 

"Now  that  you  are  here,  let  me  know  what  I  must  do 
and  I  will  do  it." 

"Couldst  thou  not,  if  only  for  an  hour,  lead  us  into  the 
castle?"  asked  Magnus.  "Couldst  thou  manage  to  have 
the  postern  left  open  some  evening?  I  think  it  is  not 
always  closed." 

"Yes,"  answered  Yerta,  blushing,  "sometimes  a  man 
comes  out  of  there  in  the  steps  of  a  Tzigane,  whose 
thoughts  are  elsewhere.  He  is  in  love,  therefore  he  is 
blind.    If  I  wish  it,  the  postern  will  be  left  open." 

"Then  Adrienne  is  saved,"  cried  Armand-Louis. 

A  shadow  darkened  Yerta's  visage. 


WHAT  WOMAN  WILLS  l8s 

"There's  a  man  1  will  deceive,"  continued  the  gypsy 
with  an  effort. 

"Patricio  Bempo?'  suggested  Magnus. 

"Yes,  Patricio  Bempo.  If  blood  must  flow,  you  will 
save  his  life?  " 

"I  swear  it  to  thee,"  replied  Armand-Louis. 

"Take  back  this  jewel,"  said  Yerta,  taking  of?  the  ring 
Magnus  had  slipped  on  her  finger.  "Between  us  there 
must  be  neither  gold  nor  silver.  I  will  see  Patricio 
Bempo  this  evening." 

"A  word,"  cried  Armand-Louis,  retaining  her  as  she 
withdrew.  "If  through  thee  I  am  to  save  Adrienne,  and 
my  life  shall  not  be  long  enough  to  bless  you  for  it,  try 
to  see  her.  Tell  her  that  friends  are  near,  and  that  she 
is  to  be  ready  to  follow  us  when  the  hour  of  deliverance 
strikes." 

Yerta  seemed  to  reflect  for  a  moment.  She  was  no 
longer  the  girl  Armand-Louis  had  seen,  her  face  stained 
with  blood,  and  pale  and  haggard  as  death.  She  was  a 
woman  now  in  all  the  glory  of  a  wildflower  beauty,  proud 
and  sad,  a  brow  of  rare  intelligence,  a  glance  of  fire. 

"Three  days  from  now,"  she  continued  at  length,  "at 
the  first  hour  of  evening,  be  before  the  postern  of  the 
castle,  behind  the  thick  curtain  of  oak  trees  that  stands 
there.  I  will  have  the  key  and  a  light  burning  in  the 
highest  window  of  the  tower  you  see  yonder  toward  the 
setting  sun,  will  tell  you  that  she  whom  you  love  sleeps 
not,  but  waits." 

Yerta  then  dove  in  the  wood,  while  the  glances  of  Ar- 
mand-Louis followed  her  steps.  Soon  the  slight  silhouette 
of  the  gypsy  maiden  disappeared,  and  they  could  not 
longer  hear  the  sound  of  her  tread  on  dead  leaves.  Two 
tears  were  silently  coursing  down  her  cheeks. 

"Does  this  fair  prisoner  know  how  happy  she  is?"  she 
said  as  though  the  words  escaped  her  lips  unwittingly. 

Then  lowering  her  head  she  hastened  along  the  path 
which  led  to  the  castle. 

A  moment  later  she  was  to  be  seen  in  a  gallery  where 
Madame  d'Igomer  loved  to  assemble  the  people  of  the 
neighborhood,  to  whom  her  hospitable  heart  offered  en- 
tertainment.    Yerta  sounded  iier  tambourine  and  halted 


l86  WHAT  WOMAN  WILLS 

before  each  group.  But  her  eye,  quick  as  a  bird's,  was 
seeking  a  certain  face.  Finally  a  door  was  opened  and 
Adrienne  appeared. 

"Last  always,  and  last  to  be  best  admired,"  said  the 
baroness,  advancing  towards  Adrienne. 

But  Yerta  was  before  her,  and  placing  her  finger  on  the 
arm  of  the  young  woman,  she  said : 

"The  morning  follows  night.  The  nightingale  sings 
after  the  storm.  In  your  features  I  read  that  before  a 
year  shall  have  passed  you  will  be  wedded  to  a  young  and 
mighty  lord,  whom  you  love " 

"And  who  will  soon  be  here,  is  it  not  so?"  suggested 
Madame  d'Igomer,  who  was  thinking  of  John  of  Werth. 

"Yes,  he  will  be  here  soon.  As  you  I  know  it,  as  you  I 
see  him." 

Adrienne  quickly  withdrew  her  arm. 

"Do  you  not  wish  me  to  tell  you  his  name?"  asked 
Yerta. 

"Since  fate  protects  you,  let  fate  speak,  my  darling," 
said  the  baroness,  who  moved  away  after  casting  a  sig- 
nificent  glance  upon  the  Tzigane. 

Yerta  had  seized  Adrienne's  arm  again. 

"Armand-Louis !"  she  whispered. 

Adrienne  trembled  from  head  to  foot. 

"They  are  watching  us,"  continued  the  gypsy  coolly, 
pretending  to  examine  the  lines  in  Adrienne's  hand.  "Do 
not  tremble.  Try  to  smile.  I  have  seen  him.  He  is  near. 
He  will  deliver  you.  Be  ready  at  the  first  signal.  Leave 
your  lamp  lighted,  and  if  at  night  you  hear  me  sing,  let 
your  door  remain  open.  Somebody  will  not  be  far  away. 
For  the  present  make  Madame  d'Igomer  believe  that  you 
are  resigned.  You  can  well  suffer  a  little  for  him  who 
loves  you  so  much." 

Yerta  let  fall  Adrienne's  hand,  and  brushing  her  thumb 
against  the  sonorous  skin  of  her  tambourine,  she  softly 
sang: 

"I  love,"  says  the  silvery  moon, 

Bathing  in  cloudy  fleece. 
"I  love,"  say  the  jaded  flowers, 

Dragged 
By  the  careless  brook. 


WHAT  WOMAN  WILLS  187 

The  tambourine  snorted  while  she  shook  its  copper 
rings,  and  Yerta  continued,  as  she  threw  a  furtive  glance 
on  Patricio  Bempo,  who  devoured  her  with  his  eyes : 

"I  love,"  said  the  wave  to  the  moon, 

Under  the  dune 
On  which  mounts  its  mighty  surge. 

"I  love,"  says  the  bird  who  clucks 

Under  the  moss 
Amid  the  yellow  corn. 

"Well?"  asked  Madame  d'Igomer,  as  she  dropped  a 
gold  coin  into  Yerta's  hand. 

"Well,"  replied  Adrienne,  "one  must  resign  oneself  to 
one's  lot." 

Madame  d'Igomer  kissed  her  brow. 

Yerta  had  just  disappeared ;  but  she  had  not  left  the 
gallery  alone.  Patricio  Bempo  followed  her.  He  saw  her 
stop  at  the  edge  of  a  ditch  and  fling  into  it  the  piece  of 
gold  which  the  baroness  had  given  her.  As  the  glittering 
coin  sank  into  the  greenish  water  she  rubbed  her  hands 
together  in  a  convulsive  movement  of  anger  and  disgust. 

"Ah,  the  words  I  have  just  heard,  the  words  your  song 
repeats  ever,  will  you  always  say  them  alone?"  cried  Pa- 
tricio Bempo. 

"And  why  should  I  say  them,"  asked  Yerta,  looking  at 
him  fixedly,  "to  him  who  docs  nothing  to  merit  them?" 

"What  have  you  demanded  of  me  which  permits  you 
to  speak  thus?    Have  I  not  offered  to  do  everything?" 

"Yes;  everything  I  did  not  wish  to  accept." 

She  moved  away  from  the  ramparts.  Patricio  walked 
beside  her,  ravished  with  her  beauty. 

"Command  me,  then,"  he  cried. 

"Words,  mere  words,"  interrupted  Yerta.  "Others  have 
ofTercfl  me  gold,  jewels,  robes  to  make  duchesses  envious, 
in  fine,  all  that  the  sword  of  a  soldier  can  conc|ucr.  None 
has  said  to  me,  'Here  is  my  heart,  my  life.  Let  all  perish, 
I  am  yours.'  " 

"Do  you  not  know  that  I  am  all  yours?    That  I " 

Yerta  set  her  little  finger  over  Patricio's  mouth,  and 
fixing  her  soft-flamed  eyes  upon  him,  added  : 


i88  WHAT  WOMAN  WILLS 

"No  more  promises !  If  I  ask  you  two  things,  I  wager 
you  will  refuse  them  to  me." 

"I  ?  Speak,"  said  the  lieutenant  of  Mattheus,  whose  lips 
clung  to  that  dainty  hand. 

"Two  things.  Only  two.  The  key  of  the  little  door 
which  pierces  the  foot  of  the  ramparts " 

"Of  the  door  whose  charge  is  mine?" 

"Moreover,  the  countersign,  which  permits  entrance 
though  ten  sentinels,  with  musket  in  hand,  were  posted 
along  the  wall." 

"The  countersign  also?  But  you  ask  me  my  life  with 
it,  my  honor  of  a  soldier !" 

"Do  you  fear  to  trust  me  with  them  ?"  Yerta  asked  half 
closing  her  dark  eyes. 

"Everything  is  yours,  Yerta,  except  this." 

"What  did  I  tell  you?  Let's  speak  no  more  of  it.  You 
are  like  the  others.  A  sorry  love  that  which  can  give 
nothing.     Farewell,  Patricio!" 

Yerta  took  a  few  steps  toward  the  forest.  Patricio  fol- 
lowed her  still,  but  she  took  no  notice  of  him. 

"But  why  do  you  want  this  key  and  the  countersign  ?" 
he  asked. 

"Why?"  asked  Yerta,  slackening  her  pace.  "I  was 
dreaming.  I  fancied  that  with  this  key  one  might  enter 
Drachenfeld,  without  being  seen,  at  nightfall.  The  door 
open,  with  the  countersign,  one  might  pass  unknown  and 
unquestioned  before  the  sentinels.  In  the  morning  one 
might  escape  as  a  bird  from  its  nest,  and  my  tribesfolk 
would  not  know  that  the  gypsy  maiden  had  deserted  her 
tent." 

"Yerta,  is  it  true?    You  promise  me?" 

"I  promise  nothing.  But  like  the  swallow  I  come  and 
go.  A  chance  may  lead  me  to  the  foot  of  the  walls,  a 
chance  may  cause  me  to  seek  the  door.  But  why  open  it, 
when  behind  this  impenetrable  iron  and  wood  there  is 
hidden  a  captain  prudent  as  a  hare  and  suspicious  as  an 
eel?  Ah,  Patricio  Bempo,  you  are  like  a  fire  that  from 
afar  blazes  brilliantly.  One  runs  toward  it,  and  reaches  it 
to  find  only  ashes." 


WHAT  WOMAN  WILLS  189 

"Yerta,"  cried  the  conquered  Patricio,  "here's  the 
key !" 

"The  key  ;  'tis  well.    But  the  countersign?" 

Patricio  heaved  a  great  and  violent  sigh.  Falling  at  the 
Tzigane's  feet  and  hiding  his  head  between  her  hands,  he 
murmured  : 

"Dux  et  impcratorl" 


I90  THE  POSTERN  OF  DRACHENFEIvD 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  POSTERN  OF  DRACHENFELD. 

On  the  morrow  at  evening's  first  sign,  Armand-Louis, 
who  in  the  depths  of  the  forest  never  let  his  eyes  wander 
from  Drachenfeld,  noticed  a  Hght  as  of  a  star,  shining  at 
the  top  of  a  stunted  tower  in  which  dwelt  Adrienne. 

"Look  !"  he  said  to  Magnus. 

"The  gypsy  maiden  has  lost  no  time,"  replied  Magnus, 

They  notified  Renaud  of  their  discovery,  and  the 
dragoons  were  informed  that  they  might  have  to  strike 
camp  during  the  night. 

"So  much  the  better,"  said  M.  de  Collonges.  "I  am 
weary  of  killing  Croatians." 

Shortly  afterward,  a  band  of  Huguenots,  at  whose  head 
were  Armand-Louis,  Renaud,  Magnus,  Carquefou  and 
Rudiger,  stole  up  to  the  edge  of  the  wood.  A  little 
distance  behind  them  a  few  of  the  dragoons  held  horses 
ready  saddled  and  bridled.  M.  d'Aigrefeuille  was  in 
charge  of  the  latter  company.  He  had  received  orders  to 
advance  at  the  first  noise  or  cry  that  should  be  raised. 

The  rest  of  the  troop  lay  flat  in  the  undergrowth,  be- 
hind the  hedge,  so  that  they  could  see  everything  that 
passed  without  being  seen  themselves.  Somewhat  for- 
ward and  protected  by  a  knoll  lay  Armand-Louis  and 
Renaud  with  their  three  servitors.  The  night  was  clear 
and  calm. 

Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  had  been  at  their  post 
scarcely  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  when  their  ears  caught 
the  sound  of   light    footsteps.     A    woman    was   passing 


THE  POSTERN  OF  DRACHENEELD  191 

within  a  few  yards  of  them.     She  wore  a  long  cloak  ami 
was  hurrying-  toward  the  castle. 

"Yerta!"  Magnus  whispered  to  Armand-Louis. 

The  gypsy  maiden  vanished  in  the  l)lack  shadow  of  the 
castle  walls.  Behind  iier  followed  Magnus  and  Carquefou. 
gliding  like  serpents  toward  the  bank  of  the  wood.  Ru- 
diger  kept  watch  not  far  distant. 

Lying  quite  near  and  holding  breath,  Armand-Louis 
and  Renaud  scanned  the  postern,  which  looked  like  a 
great  round  black  spot  on  the  base  of  the  wall. 

Here  Yerta  paused  for  a  second,  slipped  the  key  into 
the  hole  and  opened  the  little  door. 

Perhaps  she  was  not  going  to  close  it  when  a  sentinel 
advanced  upon  her. 

"Dux  !"  she  cried  huskily. 

"Et  imperator!"  replied  the  sentry. 

Yerta  pushed  the  door  back  on  its  iron  hinges  and  en- 
tered into  the  vault. 

Patricio  Bempo  had  heard  all,  the  furtive  step  of  Yerta, 
the  muffled  groan  of  the  door  on  its  hinges,  and  the  chal- 
lenge and  countersign. 

"She!    It  is  she!"  he  said. 

Yerta  was  soon  at  the  head  of  the  spiral  staircase  which 
led  to  the  apartment  of  Patricio.  He  leaped  across  the 
threshold,  darted  through  the  room  and  opened  the  win- 
dow on  the  balcony. 

Patricio  was  following  her  with  outstretched  arms.  The 
Tzigane  was  horribly  pale.  Her  glittering  eyes  scanned 
the  sombre  and  silent  forest,  the  glades,  the  moats,  where 
vague  forms  were  barely  distinguishable.  They  looked 
like  the  fallen  trunks  of  trees.  In  the  stunted  tower  a 
lamp-flame  trembled.  She  leaned  over  the  balustrade. 
From  the  foot  of  the  wall  arose  the  sound  of  a  piece  of 
metal  against  a  pebble. 

"What  is  that?"  asked  Patricio. 

"The  gold  bracelet  I  had  on  my  arm  has  fallen,"  an- 
swered Yerta. 

Patricio  took  her  in  his  arms  and  tried  to  lead  her 
within  the  room. 

"No,"  murmured  Yerta,  holding  him  tenderly.  "The 
air  is  goo<l  here." 


192  THE  POSTERN  OF  DRACHENFELD 

Then  she  laid  her  head  on  Patricio's  shoulder,  and  in 
a  trembHng  voice  began  to  sing : 

"I  love,"  says  the  black  nightfly 
To  the  breath 
Which  weeps  in  the  reeds, 
"I  love,"  says  the  wave  superb 
To  the  bit  of  grass 
That  quivers  in  the  depths  of  the  waters. 

The  soft  night  breeze  bore  the  sound  of  her  voice 
through  the  air ;  the  light  still  trembled  behind  the  nar- 
row window  of  the  tower,  and  Yerta,  whom  Patricio 
gazed  upon  enraptured,  continued  her  song: 

"I  love,"  says  the  wind  that  passes 
Through  space 
Where  glows  the  great  sun. 
"I  love,"  says  the  autumn  flower 

Which  shivers 
At  the  kisses  of  the  purple  eve. 

A  shadow  passed  before  the  window  where  the  solitary 
lamp  shone,  and  the  gravel  crunched  furtively  at  the  foot 
of  the  wall. 

"Some  one  walks  below,"  whispered  Patricio,  leaning 
over  the  balcony. 

"You  hear  the  tread  of  a  stag  in  the  wood,  and  you  no 
longer  see  Yerta  who  is  at  your  side,"  murmured  the 
gypsy.  _  _ 

Patricio  felt  the  fire  of  a  kiss  upon  his  cheek,  and 
trembling  he  seized  her  in  his  arms. 

"Ah,"  she  whispered,  "it  will  no  longer  be  said  that  I 
do  not  love." 

Her  cheeks  were  instantly  flooded  with  tears. 

Magnus  meanwhile  had  slowly  and  noiselessly  as  a 
lizard  approached  the  postern.  He  had  picked  up  the 
key  which  Yerta  had  dropped  from  above,  and  slid  into 
the  hole.  This  done,  Armand-Louis  wished  to  pass  in  the 
first. 

"No,"  said  Magnus.  "Let  me  go  first.  There  may  be  a 
poignard  behind  this  door,  and  the  blow  that  strikes  you 
will  strike  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  as  well." 


THE  rOSTERN  OF  DRACHENFELD  193 

"Dux!"  cried  a  sentinel  who  suddenly  appeared  at  the 
loophole. 

"Et  imperator!"  replied  Armand-Louis. 

The  sentry  shouldered  his  musket,  and  they  entered. 
A  sentry  was  pacing  up  and  down  in  the  sombre  hall, 
which  was  poorly  lighted  by  a  lamp  hung  from  the  roof. 
This  one  challenged  them  with  the  same  word ;  the  same 
reply  was  returned  to  him. 

He  had  counted  four  men ;  at  the  fifth  he  frowned. 

"Does  the  governor  of  the  castle  know  you  are  here?" 
he  asked. 

The  Pole  nodded  in  assent  and  allowed  his  companions 
to  enter. 

The  postern  remained  open. 

"Comrade,"  said  the  sentinel  as  Magnus  and  his  three 
companions  passed  into  the  vault,  "do  you  not  close  the 
door?" 

"Others  are  coming,"  replied  Rudiger,  w'ho  had  quiet- 
ly seated  himself  on  a  stone  bench. 

"More?  Then  if  more  come  they  must  give  the  counter- 
sign.   The  door  must  not  remain  open." 

"Then  close  it  yourself." 

The  sentry  approached  and  shoved  it  close ;  but  the  in- 
stant that  he  turned  his  back  on  Rudiger,  the  Pole  leaped 
like  a  jaguar  and  planted  his  dirk  between  the  shoulders 
of  the  sentinel.  The  latter"s  arms  opened  wide  and  he 
fell  in  a  heap  to  the  earth. 

"One  at  least,"  muttered  Rudiger,  as  he  calmly  wiped 
the  blood-stained  blade  on  the  dead  man's  cloak. 

Then  he  reseated  himself  on  the  bench  after  having 
opened  the  postern  door. 

Magnus,  who  was  acquainted  with  the  (ay  of  the  castle, 
swept  through  a  long  gallery  which  connected  the  two 
wings  of  the  building.  Thus  he  quickly  led  Armand- 
Louis  and  Rcnaud  to  the  tower  inhabited  by  Adrienne 
and  Diana.  Standing  arm  in  arm,  pale  and  trembling, 
they  were  awaiting  their  saviors. 

At  sight  of  the  two  gentlemen  they  sprang  toward  the 
passage  which  united  the  tower  to  the  other  buildings. 
Madame  de  Liffenbach  appeared  at  the  door. 


194  THE  POSTERN  OF  DRACHENFELD 

She  was  about  to  scream,  when  Renaud,  pointing  a 
pistol  at  her  head,  muttered : 

"Madame,  a  single  word,  and  you  die !" 

Madame  de  Liffenbach  grew  pallid,  attempted  to  ad- 
vance a  step  and  fell  in  a  swoon. 

"She  may  recover  and  cry  the  alarm  before  we  get  out 
of  this  cursed  castle,"  murmured  Carquefou,  casting  lynx 
glances  from  side  to  side. 

"  'Tis  possible,"  said  Magnus. 

Then  wrapping  the  duenna  in  the  folds  of  a  great  cloak, 
he  laid  her  in  a  closet,  taking  care  to  shut  the  door  upon 
her. 

Adrienne  and  Diana  were  in  the  arms  of  Armand- 
Louis  and  Renaud. 

"No  words,  but  wings,"  warned  Magnus. 

As  they  reached  the  door  of  the  gallery  the  silhouette 
of  a  man,  who  walked  with  the  supple  tread  of  a  cat,  sud- 
denly appeared  at  the  farther  end  of  this  long  apartment. 

"Have  a  care,  'tis  Mattheus  Orlscopp !"  Magnus  mur- 
mured in  the  ear  of  Armand-Louis. 

Though  these  words  had  been  so  swiftly  and  quickly 
said  the  little  band  had  caught  them. 

With  a  lightning  glance  Magnus  surveyed  the  gallery. 
Then  he  assisted  the  two  young  ladies  behind  a  heavy 
curtain,  whose  folds  concealed  a  bay  window.  Armand- 
Louis  and  Renaud  stood  beside  them,  pistols  in  hand. 
Magnus  exchanged  a  glance  with  Carquefou,  and  these 
trusty  fellows  hid  behind  enormous  pillars,  which  were 
covered  with  panoplies  of  arms. 

All  this  was  done  with  the  rapidity  and  silence  of  the 
wind  that  blows.  They  had  disappeared  as  so  many 
phantoms.  When  Mattheus  entered  into  the  gallery  all 
was  mute  under  its  lofty  ceiling.  An  uncertain  ray  of 
the  moon,  broken  by  the  panes  of  glass  in  the  window, 
cast  a  confused  light  across  this  immense  hall. 

For  an  instant  Mattheus  paused  on  the  threshold  as 
though  warned  by  some  indefinable  fear  of  the  presence 
of  an  unseen  danger.  Then  neither  hearing  nor  seeing 
anything  to  cause  him  alarm  he  proceeded. 

The  rounds  he  made  this  evening  were  not  his  daily 
hp.bit,  though  he  was  ever  on  the  alert.     But  a  certain 


THE  POSTERN  OF  DRACHENFELD  195 

something,  which  it  would  have  been  very  difficult  for 
him  to  explain,  a  kind  of  suspicion,  a  vague  and  unthink- 
ing anxiety,  had  dragged  him  from  his  bed  to  run 
through  the  castle  halls.  The  governor's  inspection  was 
awaited  night  and  morning,  and  while  waiting  the  sol- 
diers watched. 

His  eyes  questioned  the  stifT  folds  of  arras  and  curtain, 
the  window  niches  and  corners  lost  in  the  night  as  his 
footfall  fell  lightly  on  the  floor.  When  he  reached  the 
middle  of  the  gallery  the  moon  was  veiled  and  a  deeper 
shadow  flooded  the  place.     Mattheus  still  advanced. 

He  had  made  most  of  his  way  when  he  fancied  he  saw 
the  bottom  of  a  curtain  move  as  though  in  a  sigh  of  the 
night  wind. 

His  hand  sought  the  hilt  of  his  dirk,  but  while  all  his 
attention  was  concentrated  upon  the  suspect  tapestry, 
Magnus  and  Carquefou  suddenly  leaped  upon  him  and 
flung  him  to  the  floor  before  he  could  even  unsheath. 

"Help!"  cried  the  governor  in  stifled  tones. 

But  his  voice  was  lost  as  a  breath.  A  moment  he  lay, 
bound  and  gagged  securely  despite  all  his  struggles,  a 
rope  about  his  neck,  which  Carnuefou  held.  Mattheus 
Orlscopp.  the  terrible,  was  now  no  more  than  a  lifeless 
lump,  like  a  soldier's  cadaver  ready  for  burial. 

Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  stood  before  him.  but  he 
did  not  recognize  them.  Only  the  presence  of  Adrienne 
and  Diana  made  him  suspect  the  traits  of  these  faces  he 
could  but  indistinctly  trace  in  the  darkness. 

"I  told  thee,"  said  Renaud  finally,  "that  I  would  hang 
thee ;  and  thou  well  knowest  I  keep  my  promises." 

Mattheus  shivered.  The  veins  of  his  throat  swelled. 
From  corpse-like  pallor  his  face  grew  purple  red.  His 
whole  body  shook  convulsively  and  his  muscles  strug- 
gled in  a  supreme  effort.  His  eyes,  into  which  the  blood 
had  spurted,  closed  and  he  remained  motionless  as  death. 

Renaud  made  a  sign  and  Carquefou  slung  ATatthcus 
across  his  shoulder.  They  passed  through  the  gallery, 
rrachcd  the  hall  and  procecfled  silently  through  the  pos- 
tern. Rudigf,  who  was  waiting  for  them,  had  seen  or 
heard  nothing 

"All's  well!'   he  said  to  Mncrnus. 


196  THE  POSTERN  OF  DRACHENFELD 

The  moon  lay  hid  behind  great  clouds.  It  was  almost 
impossible  for  them  to  discern  the  black  curtain  of  the 
forest,  which  lay  drowned  in  the  blackness  of  the  night. 

Suddenly  a  cry  arose  from  the  watch-tower  hooked  in 
the  angle  of  the  wall  as  an  eyrie  of  an  eagle  on  the  side 
of  a  rock. 

"Dux  et  imperator!"  shouted  Armand-Louis  in  an- 
swer to  the  challenge  of  the  sentry. 

Mattheus  opened  his  eyes  and  closed  them  in  the  same 
instant. 

A  moment  later  the  moat  and  escarpment  had  been 
cleared  by  this  strange  company. 


REQriESCAT  IN  PACE  197 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

REQUIESCAT  IN  PACE. 

A  few  paces  from  the  forest  there  was  an  old  dead 
tree,  which  stretched  its  stout  branches  over  a  precipice 
at  the  border  of  a  glade.  Carquefou  laid  Mattheus  on 
the  ground  and  passed  the  end  of  the  rope  which  he  held 
over  a  branch  of  this  tree.  Alagnus  took  part  of  the  gag 
from  the  prisoner's  mouth,  who  could  now  articulate  a 
few  sounds,  but  could  not  cry  out.  Then  he  placed  be- 
tween his  pinioned  hands  a  small  w'ooden  cross. 

"Recommend  thy  soul  to  God,"  said  Magnus.  "Thine 
hour  is  come !" 

"Damn  ye  I"  mumbled  Mattheus,  throwing  the  cross 
from  him.  "John  of  W'erth  is  not  far  away." 

Carquefou   pulled   the  rope  and   looked   at   Renaud. 
The  prisoner's  body  was  half  raised  from  the  ground. 

"Oh.  this  is  horrible!  Not  here,  not  before  me!" 
cried  Diana,  clinging  to  the  arm  of  Renaud. 

"No,  no,"  added  Adrienne.  "Have  mercy  on  him. 
Should  we  think  of  punishment,  in  this  hour  when  Provi- 
dence restores  our  liberty  to  us?" 

Renaud  was  about  to  answer. 

"Adrienne  is  right,"  interrupted  Diana,  "he  is  a  cap- 
tive. He  can  do  nothing  against  us.  Have  mercy  on 
him." 

The  body  of  Mattheus  was  let  fall  again  to  earth  by 
Carquefou. 

"Yet  this  was  a  beautiful  chance  and  a  beautiful  tree," 
grumbled  Carquefou,  as  he  knotted  the  rope  solidly 
about  the  trunk  of  the  dried  tree. 

Then  he  followed  Magnus,  who  was  running  to  the 
spot  where  M.  d'Aigrefeuille  was  waiting  with  his 
dragoons. 

Armand-Louis,  Renaud,  Adrienne  and  Diana  had 
just  disappeared  in  the  depths  of  the  forest. 


1,98  REQUIESCAT  IN  PACE 

Rudiger  walked  in  their  rear ;  a  kind  of  pity  had  seized 
him  as  he  gazed  at  the  man  who  had  been  his  master 
and  whose  face  was  pale  with  the  awe  of  death. 

He  looked  behind  him  once  more  and  saw  the  gover- 
nor writhing  on  the  ground.  Carquefou  had  not 
loosened  entirely  the  rope  about  his  neck  ;  besides,  a  jerky 
movement  might  pitch  him  into  the  gorge  which  lay 
within  ten  feet  of  him. 

Death  lurked  everywhere  for  Mattheus.  Rudiger  re- 
traced his  steps. 

"Now  I'm  becoming  tender,"  he  told  himself.  "How 
stupid  it  is !" 

Mattheus,  hearing  his  steps,  raised  his  head  with  an  ef- 
fort and  looked  at  him. 

"I'm  sufifocating,"  he  groaned  in  a  voice  hardly  hu- 
man. 

Rudiger  knelt  down  and  loosened  the  knot  of  the  rope. 

"If  you  have  anything  else  to  ask  of  me,  make  haste," 
he  said. 

"Don't  leave  me  in  this  position,"  replied  Mattheus. 
"The  slant  of  the  ground  impels  me  toward  the  gorge. 
My  head  is  low  and  the  blood  stops  my  breath." 

He  gasped  even  as  he  spoke. 

Rudiger  knelt  down  again,  and  taking  Mattheus  in  his 
arms,  he  raised  him  to  change  his  position.  A  devilish 
joy  gleamed  in  the  eyes  of  the  prisoner.  Seizing  Rudi- 
ger's  pistol,  which,  hanging  in  its  belt,  came  even  with 
his  grasp,  he  pressed  the  barrel  to  the  Pole's  breast  and 
fired. 

Rudiger  sprang  back  like  a  tiger  struck  with  the  ball 
of  a  hunter.     He  staggered  a  few  steps  and  fell. 

"Dead !"  cried  Magnus. 

A  musket  shot  from  the  castle  answered  this  report. 

"Ah,  all's  not  lost !"  murmured  the  governor,  as  he 
glared  at  Rudiger,  stretched  on  the  earth. 

But  the  Pole,  whom  he  thought  dead,  rose  slowly 
on  his  hands  and  crawled  toward  him.  Mattheus  felt  a 
cold  sweat  moisten  the  roots  of  his  hair.  Keeping  one 
hand  on  his  wound,  whence  the  blood  flowed  in  a  torrent, 
Rudiger  crept  on  and  on  ;  each  effort  brought  him  nearer 
to    Mattheus.     A    grim,    unconquerable    determination 


RKQl'IESCAT  IN  PACE  199 

shone  in  his  eyes.  Soon  he  could  touch  the  feet  of  Mat- 
theus  with  his  finger-tips  and  clung  to  them. 

"I'll  not  die  alone!"  he  groaned.  "Wretch,  'tis  thou 
who  killed  me,  even  as  1  was  helping  thee.  Then,  rat, 
I'll  do  for  you  what  Renaud  de  Chaufontaine  was  too  no- 
ble to  do." 

Then,  stiffening  his  bloody  hands  he  braced  his  chest 
against  the  feet  of  Mattheus  and  pushed  him  toward  the 
abyss.  Mattheus  strove  to  repulse  him,  but  his  bonds 
prevented  him,  the  blood  froze  in  his  veins  and  his  most 
violent  efforts  were  hurtling.  He  felt  his  body  gradually 
slipping  along  the  grass. 

"Mercy,  mercy,"  he  groaned. 

"Thou'lt  have  mercy  and  from  me!  Thou'rt  joking, 
Mattheus.  Wretch,  thou'rt  going  to  die  and  to  die 
hanged." 

With  this  Rudigcr  made  an  extra  effort  and  Mattheus 
went  nearer  death.  He  dug  up  the  tufts  of  grass  by 
which  he  sought  to  save  himself.  Only  a  small  stretch 
of  verdure  separated  him  now  from  the  abyss.  Suddenly 
Rudiger  stopped  ;  his  exhausted  arms  scarcely  bore  him  : 
he  fell  face  downward  to  the  earth. 

"Ah,  thou  couldst  not,  robber,"  roared  Mattheus. 

Rudigcr  dragged  himself  slowly  along  and  again  laid 
his  hands  on  the  body  of  the  governor. 

"Listen,"  said  Mattheus.  his  teeth  chattering.  "Die  in 
peace.  Release  me  and  I'll  have  a  thousand  masses  said 
for  the  repose  of  thy  soul." 

But  the  feeble  hands  of  the  dying  Pole  frantically 
shoved  the  governor  on  to  the  slope.  A  trail  of  blood 
marked  his  course. 

"Thou'lt  have  a  thousand  gold  ducats,  ten  thousand ; 
all  I've  got,  if  thou'lt  but  spare  me,  hangman!" 

The  last  words  died  in  the  throat  of  Mattheus.  Rudi- 
ger, feeling  the  chill  of  death  in  his  bones,  shoved  him 
onward  with  shoulder  and  arm,  digging  his  feet  in  the  soil 
to  sustain  his  pressure.  The  abyss  yawned  slowly,  but 
fatally,  beneath  the  haggard  eyes  of  the  captive ;  he 
gasped  an  oath  from  his  foaming  mr)iith.  Then  a  last 
shove  of  the   Pole's  shotildtr  sent  him  over,  the  rope 


200  REQUIESCAT  IN  PACE 

straightened  out  with  a  crack  and  the  corpse  of  Mattheus 
hung  above  the  gorge. 

Rudiger  leaned  his  head  over  the  side  of  the  precipice, 
while  his  life-blood  ebbed  away  swiftly.  He  raised  him- 
self on  his  elbow  by  a  supreme  effort. 

"He'll  take  thee,  villain !"  he  groaned. 

A  veil  sprang  up  before  his  eyes,  a  chill  shook  his 
whole  body  and  his  elbow  fell  from  under  him, 

"Ah,  mercy,  good  God,  mercy!"  he  cried. 

His  head  dropped  heavily  on  the  grass  and  he  moved 
no  more. 

Meanwhile  the  double  firing  which  had  just  broken  the 
silence  of  the  night  had  aroused  Patricio  Bempo.  He 
sprang  for  his  sword  and  leaped  from  the  room,  where 
Yerta  listened  with  bended  head  like  a  wild-cat.  The 
Italian  crossed  the  gallery  to  attain  the  ramparts.  He 
stopped  at  the  sound  of  a  stifled  groan  which  proceeded 
from  the  depths  of  a  room  he  was  passing.  He  kicked 
the  door  in  and  a  disheveled  phantom,  dragging  a  cloak, 
appeared  before  him. 

"Down  there,  down  there,  they  took  them,"  said  Mad- 
ame de  Lififenbach  in  a  hoarse  voice,  as  she  pointed  with 
her  withered  hand  to  an  open  door  at  the  end  of  the  gal- 
lery. 

Patricio  ran  toward  it.  The  alarm  had  been  sounded 
and  everywhere  heavy  footsteps  echoed  from  the  walls 
and  ceilings  of  the  castle.  As  the  lieutenant  was  passing 
through  one  of  the  lower  halls,  at  the  end  of  which  stood 
a  spiral  staircase,  he  felt  a  draft  of  fresh  air  strike  his 
cheek.  A  dreadful  suspicion  crossed  his  mind  and  he 
plunged  into  the  dark  passage  at  the  foot  of  this  stair- 
case, which  led  to  the  postern.  He  had  advanced  but 
thirty  steps  when  he  slipped  in  a  pool  of  blood.  He 
stopped  and  looked  down  and  began  to  search.  The 
body  of  a  soldier  lay  against  the  wall ;  and  the  earth  here- 
abouts was  freshly  marked  with  many  footprints. 

"To  arms!"  cried  Patricio  in  terrible  tones. 

"To  arms !"  repeated  the  sentry  in  the  watch-tower. 

Ten  trumpet  calls  replied  and  Patricio  hastened  back  to 
his  room  to  inform  Yerta  of  what  had  happened.  The 
hour  of  love  had  passed  ;  the  hour  of  battle  had  struck. 


REQUIESCAT  IN  PACE  aoi 

"Oh,  Yerta,"  he  cried  as  he  entered  the  room,  "what 
an  awakening !" 

But  there  was  no  answer.  The  gypsy  had  disappeared. 
The  window  was  wide  open  and  from  the  balcony  to  the 
ground  hung  a  white  sheet  which  indicated  the  tlight  of 
the  fugitive.  The  water  in  the  moat  was  still  trembling 
under  the  rays  of  the  moon  and  a  vague  shadow  was  flee- 
ing into  the  forest. 

In  a  mad  rage  Patricio  Bempo  seized  a  musket  from 
the  wall,  set  it  against  his  shoulder  and  fired.  The  ball 
whistled  through  the  air.  The  gypsy  gave  a  great  leap 
and  vanished  in  the  thick  of  the  wood. 

"ni  be  avenged  yet,"  roared  Patricio  as  he  flung  the 
musket  from  him  into  the  moat. 

In  the  castle  rumor  and  tumult  reigned.  Madame  de 
Liffenbach  had  awakened  ^ladame  d'lgomer,  who,  half 
naked,  rushed  to  the  room  of  the  two  cousins,  unable  to 
believe  that  they  had  been  taken. 

"Both  of  them  gone!"  she  cried,  "Mademoiselle  de 
Pardaillan  and  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny!  Then  those 
two  Huguenots  must  have  got  into  the  castle." 

As  she  turned  to  leave,  she  met  Patricio,  who  had  just 
been  to  the  room  of  Mattheus.  He  had  not  found  him 
there  and  was  seeking  him  out  all  through  the  castle. 

"The  governor  is  not  in  his  room,"  Patricio  said,  "and 
nobody  has  seen  him." 

"To  horse,  then!"  cried  Madame  d'lgomer,  "and  woe 
betide  ye,  if  ye  fetch  not  back  the  two  women,  bound  hand 
and  foot,  as  well  as  the  wretches  who  have  stolen  them." 

An  instant  later  a  troop  of  cavalry  issued  like  a  torrent 
from  the  gate  of  Drachcnfcld  and  made  the  drawbridge 
tremble  as  they  crossed  it. 

They  saw  traces  of  the  vanishers  in  the  earth  moist  with 
the  dew.  Patricio  followed  them  up  to  the  edge  of  the 
forest,  where  the  great  dead  oak  stretched  its  branches. 

"Look,"  said  one  of  his  riders  suddenly,  taking  hold  of 
his  arm  and  pointing  to  the  body  of  Rudiger  stretched  on 
the  edge  of  the  gorge,  over  whose  abysmal  depths  swung 
the  body  of  Mattheus  Orlscopp. 

Meanwhile  Armand- Louis  and  Renaud  had  not  lost 
any  time  in  reaching  the  glade  where  M.  d'Aigrefeuille, 


202  REQUIESCAT  IN  PACE 

with  his  saddled  steeds,  was  awaiting  them.  They  were 
now  advancing  steadily,  escorting  Adrienne  and  Diana, 
when  they  heard  from  afar  the  pistol  shot  of  Mattheus 
and  the  gunshot  of  the  sentry  to  arouse  the  castle. 

"Powder  is  beginning  to  sing  now,"  said  Magnus. 
"Forward,  gentlemen !" 

"At  last,"  cried  M.  de  Collonges,  "and  if  the  balls  sing, 
we'll  talk." 

Shortly  afterward  a  third  shot  was  heard  and  almost 
immediately  Yerta  appeared. 

"Are  you  content  with  what  I've  done?"  she  asked, 
laying  her  hand  on  the  neck  of  Armand-Louis'  horse. 
"Is  my  debt  paid?" 

"Yerta,  dear  Yerta !"  cried  Armand-Louis,  seizing  the 
gypsy's  hands  and  kissing  them. 

A  smile  illuminated  Yerta's  dusky  countenance ;  but 
the  next  instant  she  staggered  and  fell  upon  her  knees.  A 
long  thread  of  purple  flowed  down  her  dress  to  the 
ground.  Armand-Louis  leaped  from  his  horse  and  took 
her  in  his  arms. 

"Yerta !"  he  cried,  "you  must  not  die,  you  who  have 
saved  us  all." 

The  gypsy  pressed  him  close  to  her. 

"Thank  you,"  she  murmured,  shivering.  "Ah,  I  had 
not  hoped  to  die  thus." 

The  words  came  to  his  ear  like  a  breath  of  the  wind. 

"Here,"  she  whispered,  laying  her  head  against  the 
heart  of  the  Huguenot,  "I  am  happy  here." 

Her  eyelids  rose  and  fell ;  she  smiled  sweetly.  Her 
arms,  which  she  had  clasped  about  his  neck,  unwound. 
It  seemed  to  him  that  the  dear  weight  of  her  frail  form 
had  grown  heavier  on  his  chest  and  knees.  He  leaned 
his  lips  toward  Yerta's  cheek. 

"Dead,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 

He  laid  her  on  the  ground.  All  the  men  raised  their 
caps. 

A  rumbling  noise,  as  of  cavalry,  reached  their  ears. 
Magnus  turned  cautiously  toward  the  castle  and  said  : 

"We  have  not  a  minute  to  lose  if  we  would  not  have 
all  Drachenfeld's  warriors  on  our  hands." 

"Shall  we  leave  poor  Yerta  unburied?"  asked  Renaud. 


REQUIESCAT  IN  PACE  203 

"Assuredly  no."  cried  Armand-Louis.  "I  should 
deem  mvself  unworthy  to  look  upon  Mademoiselle  de 
Souvig:ny,  if  I  left  the  body  of  our  saviour  to  be  out- 
raged." 

"Quick  to  work,  then!"  replied  Magnus,  as  he  and 
Carquefou  began  vigorously  to  dig  a  grave.  A  line  of  the 
dragoons  was  ranged  between  them  and  the  border-side 
of  the  forest. 

The  noise  grew  louder  and  the  earth  trembled  under 
the  hoof-beats  of  the  horses  who  were  galloping  between 
the  trees.  Soon  they  saw  the  flames  of  torches  which  the 
foremost  riders  bore  to  light  their  course.  At  the  head  of 
the  squadron  rode  Patricio  Bempo  and  Madame 
d'Igomcr.  A  few  more  leaps  and  their  horses  stood  be- 
fore the  line  of  Huguenots,  behind  which  Carquefou  and 
Magnus  were  digging  the  grave. 

Madame  d'Igomer.  astonished  at  the  sight  of  this 
armed  troop,  approached  M.  d'Aigrefcuillc,  whose  uni- 
form bore  the  imperial  colors,  and  asked  him  whether  he 
had  not  seen  two  women  fleeing  through  the  forest. 

"Two  women?"  repeated  M.  d'Aigrefcuillc,  caressing 
his  beard. 

"Was  one  of  them  fair  with  eyes  like  the  sky  ?"  asked 
M.  de  Saint-Paer. 

"The  other  dark,  with  fiery  eyes?"  asked  M.  de  Berail. 
"I  think  that  we  must  have  met  them,"  added  M.  de 
CoUonges. 

But  before  he  had  finislicd  speaking  Madame  d'Igomer 
had  caught  sight  of  Adricnnc  and  Diana  on  horse. 

"Patricio,"  she  cried,  "there  they  are.  We  need  search 
nc  longer.       You  stopped  them,  gentlemen?       I  thank 

you " 

She  spurred  her  horse  forward,  but  M.  d'Aigrefcuillc 
caught  it  by  the  bridle,  saying: 

"Do  not  trouble  yourself.  Madame.  These  young 
women  have  been  placed  under  our  protection  and,  not 
to  displease  you.  however,  they  must  remain  with  us." 

"What?"  cried  Madame  d'Igomer,  paling.  "You  will 
not  give  them  back  to  mc?" 

Renaud  advanced,  taking  off  his  hat  and  not  trying  to 
disguise  his  voice,  he  said : 


204  REQUIESCAT  IN  PACE 

"No,  madam.  I  will  keep  Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan, 
and  my  friend  will  keep  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny." 

"They,  always  they,"  shrieked  Thecla,  in  the  tones  of  a 
hyena.  "And  do  you  fancy  I  cannot  take  them  from  you 
by  force?" 

"Try,"  suggested  Armand-Louis. 

Madame  d'Igomer  turned  toward  Patricio  and  his 
band,  before  whom  in  serried  ranks  stood  three  hundred 
gentlemen  who  looked  upon  fighting  as  a  pleasure.  The 
men  of  Drachenfeld  counted  them  at  a  glance  and  hung 
back. 

"Cowards!"  muttered  Madame  d'Igomer. 

"My  lord,  the  work  is  done,"  said  Magnus,  coming 
forward,  hat  in  hand.     "Yerta  sleeps  in  peace." 

"Then,  gentlemen,  we  have  no  more  to  do  here.  For- 
ward !"  commanded  Armand-Louis. 

"What!"  scfeamed  Madame  d'Igomer,  who  was  rid- 
ing up  and  down  like  a  fury.  "They  go  off  and  you  do 
not  stir,  you  who  have  swords  in  your  hands  !  What  sort 
of  men  are  you,  then?" 

Patricio  spurred  his  horse  forward.  A  handful  of  sol- 
diers followed  him  and  they  fell  upon  the  first  line  of  the 
dragoons. 

But  the  skirmish  was  very  short.  The  Imperialists 
wavered,  four  or  five  of  them  emptied  their  bows  and 
Patricio  retreated  with  a  broken  sword. 

"Yerta  said  I  must  spare  thee,"  said  Magnus,  as  he 
wiped  Baliverne  on  the  mane  of  his  horse.  "But  don't 
tempt  me  again." 

Madame  d'lgom^  was  now  surrounded  by  a  disordered 
band  of  cavaliers.  A  good  half  of  them  was  ready  to  flee. 
All  seemed  lost,  when  a  fanfare  of  trumpets  resounded 
from  the  other  extremity  of  the  forest  and  a  rider,  whose 
silhouette  appeared  in  the  first  streak  of  dawn,  came  gal- 
loping at  top  speed  under  the  branches  of  the  ancient 
oaks. 

When  he  reached  Madame  d'Igomer,  he  saluted  her 
and  said : 

"John  of  Werth  follows  me." 

The  fanfare  of  trumpets  kept  sounding  meanwhile, 

"Ah,  John  of  Werth !"  cried  Thecla,  the  blood  leaping 


REQUIESCAT  IN  PACE  205 

to  her  cheeks  for  joy.  "Until  we  meet  again,  gentle- 
men !" 

Then,  without  concerning  herself  more  with  Patricio 
and  his  men,  she  spurred  her  horse  in  the  direction 
whence  the  trumpets  sounded. 

"Now  the  ball  com.mcnces,"  said  Magnus,  touching  M. 
de  Collonges  on  the  shoulder.  "You  will  see  what  a 
dance  there'll  be  when  Baron  John  of  Werth  leads  the 
violins." 

This  said,  he  tried  the  blade  of  his  sword  with  his  finger. 

"My  poor  Shiverer,"  murmured  Carquefou,  whose  re- 
ligion it  was  to  imitate  Magnus,  "more  work  for  thee; 
more  terrors  for  thy  master." 

Carquefou  tried  the  blade  of  his  weapon  on  his  saddle. 

The  strong  voice  of  Armand-Louis  resounded  once 
more,  the  squadron  fell  in  line  and  rode  from  the  bivouac 
in  good  order. 

Kl.  de  Collonges,  who  did  not  feel  at  ease,  whistled  a 
hunting  song. 


so6      THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS. 

In  truth  John  of  Werth  had  just  reached  Drachenfeld, 
He  had  taken  advantage  of  a  cessation  of  hostihties  to  pay 
a  visit  to  Madame  d'Igomer.  But  in  place  of  finding  a 
new  opportunity  to  press  his  suit  with  Adrienne  at  the 
castle,  who,  as  he  had  been  informed  by  the  latest  letters 
of  the  baroness,  was  beginning  to  show  a  more  docile  dis- 
position, he  met  with  the  tumult  and  clamor  incident  to 
the  evacuation  of  the  fortress.  As  soon  as  the  cause  had 
been  explained  he  dashed  into  the  forest  with  his  escort 
and  had  his  buglers  sound  his  approach.  How  Madame 
d'Igomer  became  aware  of  his  presence  has  been  told. 
She  speedily  joined  him  and  together  they  set  out  on  the 
tracks  of  the  three  hundred  dragoons  in  all  haste. 

The  name  of  Armand-Louis  was  sufhcient  stimulus  for 
John  of  Werth.  Another  and  such  a  check  from  this 
hated  rival  after  so  many  former  ones  made  him  furious. 

The  sun  shone  in  full  splendor  when  the  troop  of  the 
baron,  enlarged  by  that  which  had  fallen  to  the  command 
of  Patricio  Bempo  after  the  tragic  death  of  Mattheus, 
came  up  with  the  squadron  of  Armand-Louis.  The  Hu- 
guenots, who  expected  this  encounter,  were  drawn  up  in 
battle  array  at  the  gate  of  a  village,  whose  every  position 
they  held  and  whose  every  street  they  had  barricaded. 

At  sight  of  the  first  dust  clouds  which  betokened  the 
approach  of  the  Imperialists,  the  dragoons  leaped  to  sad- 
dle. John  of  Werth,  who  was  at  the  head  of  his  troop, 
rode  around  the  village,  but  did  not  find  a  single  spot 
unguarded.  In  a  burst  of  rage  he  gave  the  command  to 
attack  the  enemy. 

He  had  about  three  hundred  cavaliers  of  his  own ;  the 
troop  of  Patricio  numbered  almost  as  many.  Thus  the 
Imperialists  possessed  the  advantage  of  number ;  but  the 


THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS      207 

Huguenots  that  of  position.    The  chances  of  victory  were 
therefore  about  equal. 

The  clarions  of  the  Huguenots  retorted  to  those  of  the 
Imperialists  and  the  struggle  began.  John  of  W'erth 
charged  on  the  right ;  Patricio  on  the  left.  Both  attacks 
were  fast  and  furious ;  but  such  was  the  vigor  of  the 
defense  that  the  shock  of  the  assailants  went  no  farther 
than  the  lines  of  the  village. 

Armand-Louis,  aided  by  M.  d'Aigrefeuille,  met  John  of 
Werth ;  Renaud  and  ^I.  de  Derail  repelled  Patricio. 
Madame  d'Igomer,  sitting  her  saddle  with  the  ease  of  a 
reiter,  had  taken  a  place  on  a  small  hill  whence  she  could 
observe  the  action.  Adrienne  and  Diana,  sheltered  under 
the  porch  of  a  church,  awaited  the  issue  of  the  combat. 
They  were  surrounded  by  four  dragoons,  lest  by  any 
chance  one  or  more  of  the  enemy  should  surprise  their 
covert. 

Soon  a  belt  of  smoke  encircled  the  village,  where  the 
men  fought  like  demons  in  the  blood  of  the  fallen.  Horses 
neighed  piteously  and  dropped  to  the  ground  ;  the  sound 
of  the  muskets  was  an  incessant  crash ;  the  clash  of 
swords  and  cries  of  terror,  rage  and  pain  tore  the  air.  A 
kind  of  sullen  fury  was  evident  in  the  Imperialists.  A 
gallant  intrepidity  marked  the  fighting  of  the  Huguenots. 
The  younger  men  sang;  M.  de  Collonges  spared  neither 
songs  nor  blows.  Renaud  revelled  in  the  strife.  It  was 
long  since  he  had  had  occasion  to  call  upon  his  St.  Esto- 
cade  so  valiantly. 

Finally  the  ranks  of  Patricio  weakened  ;  one  broke,  then 
another,  until  an  entire  squadron  was  disarrayed.  A  cry 
of  victory  arose  from  the  throats  of  the  Huguenots ;  but 
John  of  Werth  answered  it  with  a  desperate  charge.  Mag- 
nus was  tired  of  seeing  him  lead  the  old  companies  in  his 
command  back  and  back  again  to  make  the  attack  and  he 
determined  to  break  his  fury  by  a  decisive  blow.  Taking 
with  him  M.  de  St.  Paer  and  thirty  dragoons,  he  went 
forth  from  the  village  by  a  remote  side  street,  attained  the 
field  without  being  seen  and  fell  like  a  torrent  bursting  its 
dikes  upon  the  fiank  of  the  Imperialists. 

At  this  juncture  when  his  advance  was  sorely  put  by 
Armand-Louis,  his  fiank  massacred  by  Magnus,  and  his 


2o8      THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS 

chances  further  diminished  by  the  scurrying  of  Patricio's 
cravens,  John  of  Werth  gave  way. 

"Raise  your  swords  and  down  on  them !"  commanded 
Armand-Louis. 

The  Huguenots  charged  mightily  and  the  ImperiaHsts 
fell  before  them  like  a  tree  in  the  tempest.  In  the  heart 
of  the  bloody  struggle  Magnus  met  Patricio. 

"Again !"  cried  the  veteran. 

Patricio  fell  upon  him  without  parley ;  Magnus  parried, 
then  thrust — and  the  bloody  blade  of  Baliverne  sank  into 
the  throat  of  the  Italian,  who  fell  back  upon  his  horse. 
The  beast  shied  and  Patricio  dropped  heavily  to  the 
ground. 

"I  told  thee,"  said  Magnus,  "not  to  lead  me  into  temp- 
tation !" 

Leaping  over  the  corpse  of  the  lieutenant  he  swung 
Baliverne  right  and  left  in  the  broken  ranks  of  the  van- 
quished. 

Armand-Louis  and  M.  de  Berail  pursued  John  of 
Werth  with  unremitting  fury.  M.  de  Berail  had  a  better 
mount  and  so  reached  the  baron  first.  Then  the  latter 
turned.  For  an  instant  both  riders  were  hidden  in  a  cloud 
of  dust,  in  which  only  the  gleam  of  their  swords  was  vis- 
ible. Then  a  rider  appeared  out  of  the  cloud.  It  was 
John  of  Werth. 

M.  de  Berail  staggered  and  fell  to  earth.  He  was  seen 
to  raise  himself  to  his  knees  and  seize  again  his  sword. 
Then  he  fell  and  lay  still.  His  horse  scurried  off  in  terror 
and  John  of  Werth  galloped  away.  Armand-Louis  had 
come  up  to  the  spot ;  but  the  terrible  captain  was  lost  in 
the  crowd  of  fugitives. 

"He  stil!  bears  that  sword-knot  at  his  hilt,"  murmured 
the  Huguenot. 

Renaud,  who  was  close  behind  him,  felt  his  eyes  grow 
dim  at  the  sight  of  M.  de  Berail  lying  lifeless  and  livid  on 
the  ground.  He  crossed  the  dead  man's  arms  on  his 
breast,  took  up  his  sword  and  covered  him  with  a  cloak. 

"He  was  my  friend  and  brother  in  arms,"  he  said  ;  "may 
the  soil  of  Germany  lie  lightly  upon  his  brave  heart." 

M.  de  Berail  was  not  the  only  dragoon  who  failed  to 
respond  to  the  roll-call.     These  were  decently  interred; 


r 


f.lM 


''Diaii.-i  (or-  off  tiie  jowi-1  .iiul  llimi;  i(  t';ii  Imm  Iiei.  " — p.   ni, 


THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS  209 

and  the  wounded  were  placed  in  the  largest  house  of  the 
village,  where  a  document  was  left,  informing  the  Im- 
perialists that  a  considerable  number  of  wounded  Aus- 
trians  and  Bavarians  would  answer  for  the  lot  of  these 
Frenchmen.  Magnus  then  hurried  preparations  for  de- 
parture.    M.  de  Collonges  was  astouutled  at  this  haste. 

"Sir,"  replied  Magnus,  "you  do  not  know  the  man  with 
whom  we  have  to  deal.  He  will  be  on  our  trail  before 
to-night,  like  a  wolf  that  has  scented  blood." 

They  left  the  village,  around  which  lay  a  hundred  dead 
or  dying  men.  and  rode  rapidly  northward.  But  in  spite 
of  this  loss  the  squadron  exhibited  an  almost  joyous  ar- 
dor, which  seemed  increased  by  the  knowledge  that  perils 
threatened  them  from  all  sides.  Some  of  their  foes  might 
rise  up  at  any  moment  from  any  point  of  the  horizon. 
The  memories  of  classic  antiquity  commingled  in  their 
minds  with  the  heroic  memories  of  chivalry. 

"Where  are  the  Arabs?  W'here  are  the  Saracens?" 
asked  M.  d'Aigrefeuillc,  who  was  thinking  of  the  gloomy 
Templars  wandering  in  the  mournful  solitudes  of  Pales- 
tine. 

"Who  will  sing  on  our  return  the  retreat  of  the  three 
hundred  as  in  the  past  old  Xenophon  sang  the  retreat  of 
the  ten  thousand?"  added  M.  de  Saint-Paer. 

And  they  all  longed  for  another  battle,  almost  before 
their  blades  were  dry  of  the  blood  shed  in  the  first. 

Although  they  were  by  this  time  accustomed  to  the 
horrible  perils  and  scenes  of  war,  Adrienne  and  Diana  felt 
profoundly  touched  at  the  thought  of  the  sacrifices  these 
brave  men  were  making  for  them.  They  were  as  among 
brothers  with  these  hardy  dragoons,  whose  ranks  knew 
but  one  heart  and  one  will.  Even  those  who  had  never 
seen  them  before  panted  for  a  risk  to  incur  in  the  young 
ladies'  behalf. 

"We  swore  we  would  rescue  you  from  the  Philistines!" 
said  the  old  Calvinists. 

"God,  the  king  and  women !"  cried  the  younger  men, 
who  had  adopted  Sweden  as  their  country. 

They  rode  the  whole  day  unmolested.  Towards  even- 
ing they  noticed  a  great  cloud  rtilling  from  the  south. 

"Here  comes  a  storm,"  said  Magnus. 


2IO      THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS 

They  gained  a  wood  as  night  fell.  This  they  entered, 
and  proceeding  in  the  midst  of  a  profound  silence  reached 
a  valley  wherein  they  set  their  bivouac,  after  having  bar- 
ricaded the  entrance  to  it. 

"The  cursed  Imperialists  will  not  attempt  to  attack  us 
here,"  said  Magnus,  who  had  guided  them  hither. 

"So  much  the  worse,"  replied  M.  de  Collanges.  "We 
should  kill  a  goodly  number." 

After  resting  a  few  hours  they  set  out  before  dawn  on 
their  march,  escorted  at  front  and  on  their  flank  by  light 
platoons. 

"  'Tis  easy  to  go  into  a  wood,"  thought  Armand-Louis. 
"To  get  out  of  it  is  more  difficult." 

Magnus,  to  whom  no  path  was  unknown,  guided  them 
towards  the  left.  At  the  first  streak  of  day  in  the  heavens 
they  gained  the  border  of  the  forest,  whence  they  were  in 
view  of  mounted  sentries  disposed  on  the  plain. 

Armand-Louis  commanded  his  dragoons  to  leap  from 
their  saddles  behind  an  elevation,  while  Magnus  with 
Carquefou  and  M.  de  Collonges  set  out  in  three  direc- 
tions to  inspect  the  environs.    At  sunrise  they  returned. 

"I  saw  five  musketeers  toward  the  west,"  said  Magnus. 

"On  the  north  side  I  counted  four  squadrons,"  said  M. 
de  Collonges. 

"Below  there,  where  we  entered,  there's  a  million 
sabres  and  muskets,"  said  Carquefou.  "The  Shiverer  is 
still  quaking  because  of  them." 

"Then  we're  surrounded,"  said  Armand-Louis. 

Without  further  parley  Magnus  flung  the  bridle  of  his 
steed  to  Carquefou,  and  creeping  on  hands  and  knees  he 
reached  the  hedge  which  bordered  the  confines  of  the 
forest.  They  awaited  his  return  in  silence.  In  half  an 
hour  he  returned  and  leaped  into  his  saddle. 

"Well  ?"  asked  Armand-Louis. 

"I  have  found  a  passage  at  the  end  of  which  are  four 
hundred  cavaliers  with  a  handful  of  infantry,"  answered 
Magnus.  "Half  of  them  are  asleep  or  playing  cards. 
These  people  fancy  we  are  still  on  the  other  side  of  the 
wood." 

"Let's  show  them  we  are  quite  near,"  said  Renaud. 


THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS      211 

"We'll  ride  over  their  stomachs  before  they  have  time  to 
recognize  us.    \\'hat  think  ye,  gentlemen?" 

The  dragoons  all  brandished  their  sabres  in  token  of 
assent. 

Armand-Louis  placed  Adrienne  and  Diana  in  the  mid- 
dle of  a  platoon,  the  command  of  which  he  gave  to  M. 
d'Aigrefeuille.  Then  riding  at  the  head  of  the  squadron 
he  led  his  men  quickly  to  the  border  of  the  forest.  Here 
he  paused  for  an  instant  to  contemplate  his  companions, 
who  chafed  with  impatience  behind  him.  He  raised  his 
sword  and  cried  : 

"Forward!  Gallop!" 

The  troop  dashed  ahead  precipitately.  Like  an  ava- 
lanche, a  whirlwind,  they  rode  down  upon  the  sentries  al- 
most before  they  could  fire  their  pistols.  The  squadrons 
reached  the  body  of  the  company  with  swords  aloft  and 
cut  it  down.  In  vain  did  infantry  and  cavalry  attempt  to 
array  themselves  in  line  of  battle.  Only  one  squadron 
offered  serious  resistance,  but  it  soon  followed  the  others 
in  rout  under  the  fierce  blades  of  the  Huguenots. 

The  way  was  clear  and  one  hundred  bodies  lay  in  the 
plain. 

Armand-Louis  looked  for  M.  d'Aigrefeuille,  who  rode 
up  to  him  and  said  proudly  : 

"You  confided  the  young  ladies  to  my  care.  Behold 
them  here," 

But  ere  he  could  take  the  valiant  gentleman's  hand,  M. 
d'Aigrefeuille  let  fall  his  bridle  and  fell  at  the  feet  of  Ad- 
rienne. At  the  beginning  of  the  action  a  ball  had  entered 
his  breast ;  yet  he  had  remained  steadfast  to  his  duty  till 
the  end.    The  battle  won,  he  died. 

"Yesterday  ^L  de  Berail !  To-day  M.  d'Aigrefeuille! 
How  many  shall  yet  fall  ?"  nutrmured  Armand-Louis 
sadly. 

Then  the  retreat  recommenced. 

The  living  barrier  through  which  they  had  just  fought 
their  way  was  part  of  a  belt  of  soldiers  that  John  of  Wertli 
had  formed  around  the  wood.  After  his  previous  defeat 
the  baron  gave  hurried  orders  to  the  various  detachments 
in  the  vicinity  to  join  him  or  to  follow  the  directions  of  his 


212      THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS 

couriers.  He  himself  launched  out  in  pursuit  of  the  Hu- 
guenots at  the  head  of  a  small  band  of  tried  men. 

As  soon  as  he  saw  Armand-Louis  and  his  companions 
enter  the  wood  he  resolved  to  imprison  them  there,  not 
daring  to  risk  himself  in  the  night.  Then  he  took  his 
stand  at  the  head  of  the  stoutest  squadrons  upon  the  road 
which  the  Huguenots  should  logically  take  in  order  to 
reach  the  Swedish  cantonments.  But  the  oblique  march 
of  Magnus  foiled  his  plan,  and  it  was  only  two  hours 
after  the  French  had  left  the  wood  that  fugitives  coming 
up  with  him  informed  John  of  Werth  that  the  dragoons 
had  escaped  from  the  belt  of  steel  within  which  he  fancied 
he  had  caught  them. 

The  baron  collected  his  men  and  set  forth  on  the  track 
of  the  Huguenots,  like  the  wolf  scenting  blood,  to  which 
Magnus  had  likened  him.  None  dared  speak  to  him.  He 
galloped  ahead  of  his  troop,  silent  and  pale,  biting  his 
moustache  and  tiring  his  hand  with  the  fierce  grip  in 
which  he  held  his  sabre. 

"Nothing  stops ;  nothing  catches  them !"  he  muttered 
at  times. 

Animated  with  a  like  ardor,  strengthened  by  the  same 
hate,  maddened  by  the  same  thirst  for  vengeance, 
Madame  d'lgomer  galloped  at  his  side.  She  seemed  to 
be  made  of  steel.    No  effort  fatigued  her. 

The  desolate  villages,  the  smoking  ruins,  the  numerous 
squadrons  they  saw  here  and  there  notified  the  Hugue- 
nots that  they  were  nearing  the  fields  where  the  armies  of 
Sweden  and  Germany  floated  their  mutually  hostile 
standards. 

Toward  evening,  Magnus,  who  rode  ever  in  advance, 
descried  the  fires  of  a  bivouac  across  their  path.  He 
spurred  his  horse  and  soon  recognized  the  encampment 
of  a  numerous  body  of  Imperial  cavalry,  lying  on  either 
side  of  the  highway.  They  could  pass  here  only  in  the 
teeth  of  sabres  and  pistols. 

To  the  right  and  left  stretched  plains  and  marshes 
broken  up  with  streams.  None  could  pass  here  without  a 
guide.  To  wait  micant  to  receive  the  attack  of  John  of 
Werth,  and  to  be  caught  between  two  fires. 


THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS      213 

Magnus  returned  and  coldly  explained  their  situation. 
A  council  of  war  assembled  about  Armand-Louis. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  he.  "we  have  just  five  minutes  to 
deliberate."' 

"That's  four  too  many.  Let's  draw  and  down  this 
rabble !"  said  Renaud. 

"This  rabble  numbers  three  hundred  men,"  objected 
Magnus.    "Let  each  of  you  give  his  oi)inion." 

"Half  of  us  will  remain  on  the  ground,  the  other  half 
will  pass  ahead,"  cried  AL  de  Collonges. 

"We  have  always  time  to  adopt  the  plan  of  AL  de  Chau- 
fontaine,"  said  Armand-Louis.  "But  we  may  try  an- 
other." 

"\\'hich?"  asked  AL  de  Saint-Paer. 

"It  is  possible  that  John  of  Werth  has  not  had  the  time 
to  inform  these  cavaliers  of  all  that  has  happened  since 
our  departure  from  Drachenfeld.  This  is  even  probable. 
We  still  wear  our  green  belts,  our  Imperial  cockades." 

"Alas  for  that !"  sighed  AL  de  Collonges.  "Further, 
we  are  in  a  territory  where  it  is  hardly  to  be  supposed 
that  any  Swedes  would  dare  to  penetrate." 

"That  is  true." 

■'We  can  present  ourselves  boldly  to  the  captains  of 
this  cavalry,  pretend  we  are  Spaniards  or  Italians,  accord- 
ing as  they  are  Germans  or  Hungarians,  and  inquire  of 
them  the  location  of  the  cantonments  occupied  by  the 
corps  of  General  Pappenhcim.  If  the  ranks  open,  we 
pass ;  if  the  captains  become  too  curious  we  unsheath." 

"Well  planned  !"  exclaimed  AL  d'.Arrandes. 

"If  the  opinion  of  AL  de  la  Guerche  is  that  of  us  all," 
said  AL  de  Voltras,  "let  us  advance  straight  upon  the  Im- 
perials." 

"For\vard,  then!"  said  Renaud. 

"Sheath,  therefore,  and  trot  ahead."  said  Armand- 
Louis.     Taking  M.  de  Collonges  aside,  he  added  : 

"You  are,  perhaps,  the  youngest  of  us,  but  none  the 
less  resolute.  At  the  first  sign  of  danger  you  will  take 
ten  well-mounted  men  and  form  around  the  young  ladies. 
If  I  make  a  sign  to  you  with  my  hand,  dash  onward  for 
their  lives !" 


214      THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS 

"If  I  do  not  pass  'twill  be  because  I'm  dead!"  an- 
swered M.  de  Collonges. 

A  few  hundred  paces  had  been  ridden  and  Armand- 
Louis  and  Magnus  took  the  lead. 

"Who  goes  there?"  cried  a  sentry. 

"Jesus  and  Mary !"  answered  Armand-Louis, 

At  the  war-cry  of  the  Imperial  army  an  officer  ap- 
proached them. 

"Who  are  you?  Whence  do  you  come?"  demanded 
the  cavalier,  whom  Armand-Louis  determined  by  his  ac- 
cent must  be  a  Walloon. 

"We  are  part  of  a  Spanish  regiment  with  orders  to  join 
General  Pappenheim,"  replied  Armand-Louis  in  atro- 
cious German.  "We  are  forbidden  to  lose  an  hour  though 
we  leave  half  the  squadron  on  the  wayside.  If  you  can 
tell  us  how  we  can  reach  this  general  most  speedily  we 
will  be  grateful  to  you." 

Several  other  officers  now  came  forward.  One  of  them, 
who  was  acquainted  with  Spanish,  questioned  Armand- 
Louis  in  this  tongue.  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud,  who 
spoke  this  language  fluently,  replied  with  cleverly  dissim- 
ulated gratification. 

While  they  were  speaking  they  still  rode  on.  The 
squadron  followed  in  close  ranks.  M.  de  Collonges  re- 
mained near  the  two  young  ladies,  keeping  a  constant  eye 
on  Armand-Louis. 

"Ah,  you  have  two  women  with  you !"  said  one  of  the 
captains. 

"My  wife  and  her  sister,"  Armand-Louis  replied  un- 
disturbed. "Donna  Louisa-Fernanda  de  Coloredo  y  Pen- 
aflor  and  Donna  Emmanuela-Dolores  de  Miranda  y  Cas- 
tejo.  They  are  to  await  the  termination  of  the  war  at  the 
court  of  His  Highness  the  Elector  of  Bavaria." 

He  said  this  in  a  calm,  natural  voice.  Adrienne  and 
Diana,  who  had  listened  in  amazement,  bowed  to  the 
Walloon  officers.  The  latter  all  saluted  in  return.  They 
were  now  almost  at  the  limits  of  the  encampment. 

An  idea  suddenly  illumined  Renaud's  brain. 

"Dear  captain,"  he  said  lightly,  addressing  his  neigh- 
bor. "My  horse  is  rather  fagged.  Had  I  the  time  to 
leave  him  stabled  for  a  day  or  two,  I  would  not  part  with 


THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS  215 

him  for  anything  under  tlie  sun.  But.  as  you  know,  I 
must  luirry.  Give  me  yours,  which  seems  fresh  and  stal- 
wart and  you  will  have  in  exchange  besides  mine  own  ten 
gold  ducats." 

"So  be  it,"  said  the  captain,  "I  am  happy  to  be  able  to 
oblige  a  comrade." 

The  deal  was  made,  and  this  example  followed  by  a 
large  number  of  the  dragoons,  who  had  fagged  or  foun- 
dered steeds.  Exchanges  were  proposed  on  the  spot  and 
were  the  more  readily  eflfected  by  the  ingenious  expedient 
of  some  pieces  of  gold. 

Walloons  and  Huguenots  separated  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
later,  each  equally  pleased  with  the  other.  The  former 
believed  that  in  two  or  three  days  they  should  have  good 
were  the  more  readily  effected  by  the  ingenious  expedient 
horses.  Provisionally  they  had  a  few  bright  ducats  in 
pocket.  The  latter,  spurring  their  vigorous  mounts  into 
leaps  and  curvets,  felt  quite  assured  that  they  had  driven 
an  excellent  bargain. 

One  or  two  hours  later  Baron  John  of  Wcrth  entered 
the  Imperial  camp.  His  astonishment  at  finding  no  trace 
of  battle,  no  dead  or  wounded  in  the  route  which  Ar- 
mand-Louis  and  his  men  had  followed,  knew  no  bounds. 

Certainly  the  fugitives  had  necessarily  met  the  Wal- 
loons.   Yet  they  had  no  wings,  he  thought. 

Before  ten  minutes  had  elapsed  he  knew  what  had 
passed. 

"And  you  have  been  their  dupes !"  he  roared.  "They 
Spaniards  from  Milan  !  They  soldiers  for  the  corps  ot 
Pappenheim  !  Good  God  !  They're  Huguenots  !  French- 
men !" 

A  cry  of  rage  replied  to  him.  Five  hundred  of  the  best 
cavaliers  were  at  once  placed  at  the  disposal  of  John  of 
Werth.  They  sent  coiuMors  in  every  direction  to  trace 
the  path  of  the  eternally  elusive  fugitives. 

This  was  not  easy,  as  the  country  was  marked  with  the 
tread  of  countless  squadrons  passing  hither  and  thither. 
Further,  it  will  be  remembered  that  the  Huguenots  wore 
the  Imperial  cockade  and  their  guide  was  a  man  who 
knew  the  country  perfectly  and  who  was  acquainted  with 


2i6      THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  DRAGOONS 

all  the  ruses  of  war.  The  band  glided  across  the  fields  as 
a  pike  through  the  troubled  waters  of  a  stream. 

At  last  such  information  was  brought  to  John  of  Werth 
as  enabled  him  to  decide  what  course  he  should  take. 
Madame  d'Igomer  displayed  even  more  irritation  and  im- 
patience than  he,  and  it  was  on  her  insistence  that  they 
did  not  pause  in  their  march  when  night  overtook  them. 

At  daybreak  they  learned  from  their  couriers,  who  were 
scouting  on  all  sides,  in  what  location  Armand-Louis  and 
his  companions  were  situated.  They  counted  upon  gain- 
ing upon  them  at  about  evening. 

"The  Huguenots  are  in  front  of  you,"  said  John  of 
Werth,  turning  to  his  men,  "will  you  suffer  them  to  re- 
turn to  their  country  and  tell  how  they  vanquished  the 
Imperialists  on  twenty  fields?" 

A  terrible  huzza  and  the  unsheathing  of  a  thousand 
sabres  were  his  answer. 

"Then,  death  to  the  French !"  and  the  pursuit  recom- 
menced. 


THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE  217 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE. 

Good  as  a  horse  may  be  he  cannot  run  forever.  The 
steeds  of  the  Huguenots  liad  covered  a  dozen  leagues 
without  a  stop.  A  halt  was  now  imperative.  Armand- 
Louis  chose  a  village  at  the  entrance  to  a  valley,  on  either 
side  of  which  lay  an  impenetrable  morass.  A  flank  at- 
tack was  thus  impossible.  On  the  other  side  of  the  vil- 
lage was  a  thick  wood,  in  which  no  cavalry  could  be 
marshalled.  If  the  enemy  wished  to  force  its  way  there- 
f  ire  there  was  but  one  point  for  assault,  the  face  of  the 
village. 

To  render  this  spot  less  vulnerable  Armand-Louis 
caused  a  dozen  great  oaks  to  be  felled  and  stretched 
across  the  road  and  embattled  the  cottages  which  over- 
looked it. 

"Xow  we  shall  be  quiet,  at  least  for  the  night,"  he  said. 
"For  to-morrow  let's  trust  in  God." 

The  horses  were  unbridled,  and  while  they  were  taking 
fodder  the  Huguenots  sought  to  make  themselves  com- 
fortable here  and  there  in  the  village. 

As  soon  as  the  villagers  caught  sight  of  the  cavalry  in 
the  Imperial  uniform  they  were  struck  with  terror  of 
being  plundered.  They  secreted  all  their  goods  and  cattle 
and  withdrew  in  hiding.  Not  a  living  being  was  to  be 
seen. 

"The  houses  still  stand,"  said  Magnus.  "The  place 
must  be  inhabited." 

He  set  out  upon  a  hunt  and  entered  an  inn.  The  host 
swore  by  all  the  gods  amid  quaking  that  he  had  not  a 
ham  hung  on  his  roof,  not  a  bottle  of  wine  in  his  cellar. 

"The  Saxons,  who  visited  us  yesterday,  gulped  every- 
thing," he  added. 

But  the  Huguenots  were  not  content  with  this  explana- 
tion.    The  host  was  fat  and  sleek.     They  rummaged  the 


2i8  THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE 

place  and  that  so  carefully  that  they  found  bread,  cheese 
and  beer.  Carquefou  made  a  sally  upon  the  fowl  that  so 
imprudently  displayed  their  beaks  in  the  barn.  He  car- 
ried off  a  couple  of  dozen.  Magnus  discovered  three  mut- 
ton and  two  calves  hidden  in  the  depth  of  the  cellar, 
Shortly  a  half  dozen  pigs  declared  their  existence  by  their 
stupid  squealing.    But  they  did  not  squeal  long. 

"Now  we  have  something  to  live  on,"  said  M.  de  Col- 
longes. 

A  few  of  the  village  women,  who  were  the  first  to  ven- 
ture from  their  huts,  wept  and  lamented  the  theft  of  the 
fowl  and  meat. 

Armand-Louis  made  a  sign  to  Magnus,  who  pulled  out 
his  long  purse  and  generously  reimbursed  these  poor 
folk.  Their  astonishment  at  this  liberality  quickly  dried 
their  tears.  They  had  not  been  beaten  and  had  received 
money.  This  was  unprecedented  in  their  memory  since 
the  beginning  of  the  war. 

Sentries  were  distributed  on  every  side. 

At  midnight  all  the  dragoons,  save  eight  or  nine,  slept 
tranquilly.  A  shot,  echoing  from  one  end  of  the  village, 
startled  the  troop  from  its  slumber.  Each  man  rushed  to 
the  post  to  which  Armand-Louis  had  previously  assigned 
him.    The  alarm  had  been  given  by  ong  of  the  sentries. 

Far  ofif  in  the  darkness  a  cohort  of  cavalry  could  be 
dimly  seen. 

A  low  rumble  of  horses'  neighing  and  the  distant  clash 
of  arms  reached  the  village.  A  company  of  musketeers 
drew  near  stealthily.  Then  a  volley  of  balls  leaped  into 
the  barricade  of  trees  shaving  off  the  twigs  and  bark. 

"That's  John  of  Werth,"  said  Magnus. 

"Fire  low!" 

The  dragoons  returned  the  fire.  A  dozen  men  and 
horses  dropped  to  earth.  The  company,  suddenly  dis- 
mayed, retreated  in  disarray.    Then  silence  reigned  again. 

M.  de  Collonges  went  outside  of  the  village  to  recon- 
noitre. In  an  hour  he  returned  with  the  information  that 
the  road  was  occupied  by  a  body  of  troops. 

"If  by  to-morrow  we  have  not  ten  thousand  devils  with 
green  belts  on  our  h^nds,"  he  added,  "I  shall  be  much 
surprised." 


THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE  219 

"  'Tis  not  the  attack  that  concerns  me,"  replied  Mag- 
nus.   "  'Tis  the  retreat." 

He  glanced  at  Armand-Louis  as  he  said  this  and  con- 
tinued : 

"Yes,  yes.  the  assault  will  be  repelled  and  John  of 
W'erth,  hell  take  him,  will  leave  a  goodly  number  of  his 
men  stretched  before  our  barricade.  But  if  we  leave  the 
village  we'll  meet  the  Bavarians  on  open  ground  less  than 
an  hour  on  the  other  side  of  the  forest,  and  we  shall  be 
one  against  ten." 

"Zounds  !  What  do  we  risk  ?"  added  M.  de  Saint  Paer. 
"They'll  not  take  us  alive!" 

"True;  but  are  we  alone?"  murmured  Armand-Louis, 
turning  his  gaze  upon  the  house  in  which  Adrienne  and 
Diana  had  sought  shelter. 

"Curse  the  beggarly  Germans!"  exclaimed  M.  de  Vol- 
tras. 

"Perhaps  we  have  another  means  to  hold  the  enemy  in 
check,"  suggested  i>Iagnus. 

"We  can  pile  up  brushwood  about  the  wooden  walls 
and  thatched  roofs  of  these  cottages  and  easily  fire  the 
whole  place.  Neither  John  of  Werth  nor  his  cavalry  will 
pass  through  that  furnace  and  we  can  meanwhile  beat  a 
retreat." 

"Good!"  cried  M.  de  Collonges. 

"But  there  arc  over  a  hundred  families  in  the  village. 
How  many  women  and  children  will  be  without  home  or 
bread  to-morrow !" 

All  about  Magnus  were  silent.  Each  understood  that 
the  squadron  was  at  the  most  diflficult  pass  it  had  yet  en- 
countered. 

M.  de  Collonges  stretched  his  cloak  on  a  bundle  of 
straw  and  lay  down. 

"Let  business  wait  till  the  morrow,"  he  grumbled.  "I'm 
going  to  sleep." 

Carquefou,  who  never  lost  a  word  of  Magnus'  utter- 
ances, slept  with  one  eye  open.  He  did  not  hold  the  same 
opinion  as  his  veteran  comrade  on  the  question  of  burn- 
ing the  village  and  believed  that  grave  maladies  demand 
heroic  remedies. 

"Faith,"  he  thought  to  himself,  "if  a  sj)ark  should  ac- 


220  THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE 

cidentally  catch  a  cottage  thatch  they  would  not  hang  me 
for  it." 

But  first  he  must  know  whether  the  road  through  the 
forest  was  free.  Tormented  by  these  thoughts  Carquefou 
rose  before  dawn,  and,  Hke  a  beast  in  search  of  prey,  he 
sHpped  out  of  the  village  on  the  side  opposite  to  the  one 
attacked.  There  were  great  clusters  of  pines.  Then  leav- 
ing the  road  he  followed  the  wood-path  in  the  depth  of 
which  he  could  barely  distinguish  the  traces  of  foresters. 
A  horseman  would  have  found  it  difficult  to  pass  here.  A 
quarter  of  an  hour  after  he  had  left  the  last  house  in  the 
village  he  noticed  a  flame  in  the  middle  of  the  road.  Car- 
quefou fell  upon  his  stomach  and  crept  along  on  ail  fours. 
Two  more  fires  appeared  on  the  road,  one  at  the  right,  the 
other  at  the  left.  Shadows  passed  before  the  flames  meth- 
odically. He  fancied  he  could  distinguish  muskets  on  the 
shoulders  of  these  shadows. 

"Ha !  Now  it's  going  to  be  spoiled !"  thought  Car- 
quefou, 

He  crept  on  a  bit,  then  Ifiting  his  head  in  a  bush,  whose 
branches  he  separated  with  both  hands,  he  counted  about 
twenty  flames  scattered  along  the  wood.  Soon  the  slow 
and  regular  tread  of  a  troop  on  march  struck  his  ears. 
He  leaned  forward  under  the  lower  branches  of  the  bush, 
held  his  breath  and  waited. 

A  patrol  of  infantry,  commanded  by  a  sergeant,  passed 
quite  close  to  him,  Carquefou  counted  twelve  men  bear- 
ing muskets. 

"I  might  easily  finish  two  or  three,"  he  thought,  "but 

then? 1  fancy  by  that  time  the  others  would  have 

rather  battered  me." 

The  result  of  this  reflection  was  that  he  quickly  turned 
his  heels  to  the  Imperialists  and  returned  to  the  village 
noiselessly. 

"Cavalry  before  us  and  infantry  behind !  'Tis  done 
perfectly,"  murmured  Carquefou,  still  pressing  onward. 

He  met  Magnus,  who  was  making  his  rounds. 

"Let  us  be  humane,"  he  told  him.  "The  fire  will  be 
useful,"  and  he  detailed  to  the  veteran  what  he  had  seen. 
Then  he  added:    "Yesterday  M.  de  la  Guerche  spoke  of 


THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE  221 

Providence.  Zounds,  but  Providence  would  be  welcome 
in  the  guise  of  a  good  Swedish  regiment." 

A  volley  of  musketry  interrupted  them. 

"There,"  said  Magnus,  "John  of  Werth  wants  to  talk 
with  us." 

"Let's  talk,  then,"  sighed  Carquefou. 

But  while  Armand-Louis  rushed  toward  the  threatened 
quarter,  Magnus  took  Renaud  aside  and  related  to  him 
what  he  had  learned  from  Carquefou. 

"W'e  must  divide  mto  two  bands.  In  a  little  while  you 
will  have  plenty  to  do  on  the  forest  side.  If  we  remember 
only  the  cavalry  of  John  of  Werth,  his  infantry  will  soon 
have  smoked  us  out  like  rats." 

M.  de  \^oltras  and  M.  de  Saint-Pacr  followed  Renaud ; 
M.  de  Collonges  joined  Armand-Louis.  Thirty  dragoons 
were  left  under  the  orders  of  M.  d'Arrandcs  to  be  led 
with  all  speed  toward  the  point  most  fiercely  attacked. 
Soon  the  fusillade  resumed  from  all  points.  The  people 
of  the  village,  terrified,  took  refuge  in  a  poor  chapel.  Ad- 
rienne  and  Diana  fell  to  their  knees  on  the  threshold  of 
their  house. 

While  they  raised  their  voices  to  God  in  prayer,  the 
musket  balls  rained  on  the  roof  and  bounded  against  the 
walls  of  the  houses  in  the  village  like  hail  in  a  storm.  The 
roar  of  musketry  continued  unceasingly,  interrupted  oc- 
casionally by  shouts  and  cries,  which  announced  a  death- 
dealing  stroke,  now  on  one  side,  now  on  the  other.  The 
whole  village  was  overcast  with  a  cloud  of  smoke. 

The  greater  number  of  John  of  Werth's  cavaliers  had 
leaped  from  their  saddles  and  were  striving  to  scale  the 
barricade  erected  by  the  Huguenots.  Axes,  hooks,  pikes 
were  brought  into  requisition  against  this  obstacle  which 
resembk-d  a  gigantic  chevaux-de-frisc.  But  the  dragoons, 
ambushed  in  every  nook,  beat  back  the  assailants  as  fast 
as  they  advanced.  The  French  were  entrenched  behind 
the  trunks  of  trees  and  spans  of  wall,  which  partially  pro- 
tected them  from  the  fire  of  the  enemy  and  permitted 
them  to  make  every  shot  tell.  At  times  they  allowed  a 
small  body  of  soldiers  to  reach  as  far  as  the  first  line  of 
houses,  then  they  leaped  upon  the  Imperialists,  who  had 


222  THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE 

become  almost  confident  of  victory,  and  not  a  man  of 
them  but  fell. 

Yet  no  backset  diminished  the  fury  of  the  foes,  who 
were  rallied  by  John  of  Werth,  galloping  hither  and  thith- 
er, sword  in  hand  and  cuirass  on  his  back. 

While  Armand-Louis  held  his  position,  at  the  other  end 
of  the  village  Renaud  withstood  the  assault  of  the  in- 
fantry. 

There  had  been  no  time  to  build  a  barricade  here,  but 
the  village  confines  were  protected  by  a  small  river 
crossed  by  a  log  bridge.  All  the  fighting  was  concen- 
trated at  this  bridge.  A  very  rain  of  bullets  did  not  deter 
a  few  lansquenets  and  musketeers  from  crossing  the 
single  arch,  but  as  soon  as  they  showed  themselves  on  the 
opposite  bank,  Renaud,  followed  by  M.  de  Voltras  and  M. 
de  Saint  Paer  charged  upon  them  and  drove  them  back 
into  the  river,  where  some  drowned. 

On  returning  from  such  a  charge  Carquefou  would 
wipe  the  Shiverer,  saying : 

"Some  of  them  get  bullets,  the  others  water.  It  is  a 
matter  of  taste." 

Toward  noon  a  parley-bearer,  preceded  by  a  trump- 
eter, who  bore  a  white  flag,  appeared  on  the  side  which 
John  of  Werth  commanded  in  person.  The  firing  was  at 
once  stopped  and  Armand-Louis  received  the  truce-bear- 
er, whose  eyes  Magnus  had  already  bound. 

"Speak,  sir,"  Armand-Louis  said  to  him,  after  they  had 
retired  to  the  lower  room  of  a  house  near  by. 

"I  am  sent  to  you  by  Baron  John  of  Werth,  general  of 
the  troops  of  His  Highness,  the  Elector  of  Bavaria,  my 
master,  to  request  you  to  cease  a  futile  resistance  and  to 
treat  of  conditions  in  order  to  stop  the  shedding  of 
blood." 

"In  that  case,  sir,  allow  me  to  inform  my  companions 
in  arms.  Nothing  of  what  is  to  pass  here  shall  be  con- 
cealed from  them." 

Armand-Louis  addressed  a  few  words  to  Magnus,  who 
went  out ;  then  turning  to  the  envoy  of  John  of  Werth,  he 
added : 

"You  seem  to  be  surprised,  sir,  that  I  should  summon 


THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE  223 

all  the  men.  with  whom  you  have  just  been  fighting,  to 
this  interview?" 

"I  have  admired  the  valor  of  them  all,"  gallantly  an- 
swered the  officer.  "But,  I  admit,  that  I  did  not  think  the 
presence  of  so  many  dragoons  was  necessary  to  our  de- 
liberations. I  believed  I  was  speaking  to  their  com- 
mander." 

"  'Tis  true,  I  ride  at  their  head.  This  is  their  free 
choice,  confirmed  by  a  commission  of  King  Gustavus 
Adolphus.  Yet  I  am  less  their  commander  than  their 
friend.  They  would  obey  my  orders  without  question, 
but  I  hold  it  in  my  honor  to  consult  with  them." 

Renaud,  M.  de  \^oltras,  M.  de  Saint  Paer,  M.  de  Col- 
longes.  M.  d'Arrandes  and  other  gentlemen  now  entered, 
preceded  by  Magnus.  They  ranged  around  Armand-Louis. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  their  chief,  "here  is  an  officer  sent 
by  our  neighbor.  Baron  John  of  Werth,  to  treat  a  pro- 
posal for  capitulation." 

"\\'hat !"  cried  Renaud,  "have  we  only  the  hilts  of 
our  swords  left?    Are  w^e  out  of  powder  and  balls?" 

"I  swear  to  you,  sir,"  added  M.  de  CoUonges,  "that  the 
most  of  us  is  still  alive,  feel  us  and  see?" 

"It  is  precisely  to  save  your  lordships  the  trouble  of 
dying,"  responded  the  officer,  saluting  courteously,  "that 
Baron  John  of  Werth  sends  me  hither.  His  conditions 
are  such  that  you  can  accept  them  without  dishonor." 

"After  all,  it  shall  not  be  said  that  you  undertook  this 
inconvenience  for  nothing,"  returned  Renaud. 

"Sir,  we  harken  to  you." 

"As  soon  as  the  village  be  surrendered  and  occupied 
by  our  men,  you  will  have  full  liberty  to  retreat  whither- 
soever it  please  you." 

"Without  ransom  and  with  the  right  to  return  to  the 
camp  of  the  King  of  Sweden?"  asked  Renaud. 

"All  roads  lay  open  to  you,  and  you  will  pay  no  ran- 
som." 

"Proceed,  sir." 

"The  honors  of  war  will  be  allowed  you  and  you  will 
retain  your  arms  and  horses." 

"Our  standards  also?" 

"Your  standards  also." 


224  THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE 

"Ha !  Ha !"  laughed  M.  de  Collonges.  "This  begins  to 
resemble  a  fairy  tale  most  marvelously." 

"If  I  may  believe  my  ears,"  said  M.  de  Saint  Paer,  "all 
we  have  to  do  is  to  proceed  on  our  way  with  blowing 
trumpets.  Why  did  you  not  speak  sooner?  For  the  last 
three  or  four  hours  this  has  been  our  only  desire." 

"Perchance  there  may  be  a  final  little  condition  which 
you  have  not  yet  mentioned  ?"  suggested  Renaud. 

"It  is  true,  gentlemen,  there  is  a  final  condition  with 
which  I  have  still  to  acquaint  you.  Yet  remember  well 
before  you  refuse  it  that  all  egress  from  this  village  is 
blocked." 

"Here's  a  bit  of  advice  that  bodes  little  good,"  mur- 
mured M.  de  Collonges. 

"You  have  with  you  two  persons  of  quality,  Made- 
moiselle de  Souvigny  and  Mademoiselle  de  Par- 
daillan.  They  shall  be  restored  to  His  Eminence,  Baron 
John  of  Werth,  who  will  conduct  them  to  the  Duke  of 
Friedland,  from  whom,  as  you  well  know,  they  have  been 
violently  abducted." 

"In  a  word,"  said  M.  de  Saint  Paer,  with  a  tinge  of  dis- 
dain, "you  propose  that  we  deliver  to  you  two  women, 
who,  besides  us,  have  no  friends  or  protectors?" 

"Though  the  lot  which  the  friends  of  whom  you  speak 
reserves  for  them  may  be  exceedingly  brilliant,"  con- 
tinued the  envoy,  "that  which  awaits  them  at  the  courts  of 
Munich  and  Vienna  will  leave  them  no  room  for  regret." 

"You  call  these  conditions  one  may  accept  without  dis- 
honor?" cried  M.  de  Collonges.  "To  sell  defenseless 
women !" 

"Bravo !"  commented  Renaud,  grasping  his  hand. 

Renaud's  face  at  the  same  time  turned  scarlet  with  rage. 
He  was  about  to  speak,  but  Armand-Louis  restrained 
him  by  a  sign.  Then  turning  to  the  Bavarian  ofBcer  the 
Huguenot  announced  that  the  conference  was  at  an  end. 

"We  must  deliberate,"  he  told  him,  "will  you  please  to 
withdraw?  You  will  have  an  answer  within  a  quarter  of 
an  hour." 

"Deliberate!"  cried  M.  de  Saint  Paer,  when  the  dra- 
goons were  alone.    "Deliberate,  and  to  what  end,  pray?" 

"Because  there  is  involved  a  matter  of  personal  interest 


THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE  225 

to  M.  de  Chaufontaine  and  to  myself,"  replied  Armand- 
Louis.  "I  should  consider  myself  dishonored  if  I  did  not 
inform  you  of  the  consequences  of  the  resolution  inspired 
by  your  magnanimity.  On  this  matter  I  believe  that  M. 
de  Chaufontaine  holds  the  same  opinion  as  I." 

"Most  surely,"  said  Renaud. 

"We  are  hemmed  in  on  all  sides,"  continued  Armand- 
Louis,  "by  a  superior  force,  which  is  being  continually 
augmented  by  reinforcements,  while  steel  and  lead  deci- 
mate our  ranks.  If  you  refuse  the  offer  of  John  of  Werth, 
some  day  we  shall  be  caught  in  our  entrenchments.  You 
know  what  we  may  then  expect." 

"Death,  of  course,"  said  M.  de  Saint  Paer,  quietly. 

"Well,  we  have  no  great  reason  to  be  terribly  fright- 
ened by  such  a  thing!"  exclaimed  M.  de  Voltras. 

"To  die  with  sword  in  hand,  is  this  not  the  best  end  a 
gentleman  can  wish  for?"  added  M.  de  CoUonges. 

"Besides,  who  can  tell,"  continued  AI.  d'Arrandes, 
"how  many  there  are  condemned  to  death  who  live  for 
a  long  time." 

"There  is  no  need  to  say,  'who  knows,'  "  Armand- 
Louis  interposed  with  vigor,  "we  have  all  been  long  ac- 
customed to  war  and  no  peril  frightens  us.  Come  hither, 
Magnus,  and  tell  us  what  thou  thinkest  of  our  position. 
Dost  thou  believe  that  the  most  tenacious  courage  can 
by  any  desperate  chance  secure  our  salvation?" 

"No,"  replied  Magnus,  gravely.  "I  am  speaking  to 
soldiers.  They  know  how  to  hear  the  truth.  Only  God's 
hand  can  draw  us  out  of  this  pass.  If  then  you  wish  to 
persevere  in  your  resistance  till  the  end,  make  the  sacri- 
fice of  your  lives.  At  your  last  hour  you  can  all  unite  in 
a  close  column,  leave  the  wounded  to  the  mercy  of  the 
conqueror  and  fall  upon  the  enemy.  This  is  the  supreme 
chance  which  the  fate  of  war  reserves  for  men  of  heart. 
Few  of  you  will  relate  the  episodes  of  this  bloody  strife  to 
your  nephews.     Outside  of  this  there  is  nothing." 

"You  hear,  gentlemen,"  replied  Armand-Louis.  "Death 
is  everywhere,  yet  you  can  avoid  it." 

"But  you?"  cried  M.  de  Collonges. 

"Oh,  Renaud  and  I,"  answered  Armand-Louis,  taking 
his  friend's  hand,  "are  bound  by  a  promise  which  cannot 


226  THE  FLAG  OF  TRUCE 

be  blotted  out  by  the  shedding  of  every  drop  of  our  blood. 
We  will  return  with  Mademoiselle  de  Souvigny  and 
Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  or  we  will  not  return  at  all." 

"Then,  count,"  said  M.  de  Collonges,  "insist  no  more. 
Your  lot  shall  be  ours.  I  believe  I  interpret  the  feeling  of 
all  my  companions  when  I  speak  thus.  When  we  set  out 
for  Drachenfeld  you  did  not  conceal  from  us  the  dangers 
of  our  way.  The  hour  of  real  peril  has  struck.  We  are 
all  ready  for  it." 

"Yes !  Yes !  All  of  us !"'  was  cried  from  all  sides. 

"Then,  gentlemen,  the  propositions  of  John  of  Werth. 
which  mean  liberty  and  life  to  you,  are  declined  ?" 

"They  are !" 

"Go,"  said  Armand-Louis,  turning  to  Magnus,  "and 
have  the  envoy  reconducted  hither." 

When  the  Bavarian  ofificer  returned  he  found  the  Hu- 
guenots pressing  about  their  leader,  clasping  his  hands 
and  embracing  him.  A  chivalrous  enthusiasm  glowed  in 
every  visage. 

"Our  deliberation  is  done,  sir,"  Armand-Louis  began. 
"I  promised  you  should  have  your  reply  within  a  quarter 
of  an  hour.  Here  it  is :  Tell  John  of  Werth  that  we  in- 
tend to  fight  while  a  drop  of  blood  flows  in  our  veins." 

"This  is  a  sublime  madness,"  the  officer  answered,  cast- 
ing a  glance  over  the  assembly.  "I  admire  you.  If 
Sweden  can  count  many  such  soldiers  as  you,  she  will 
never  be  conquered." 

The  set  faces  which  surrounded  him  told  him  plainly 
how  useless  it  would  be  to  insist  on  the  purpose  of  his 
mission.  He  allowed  Magnus  to  bind  his  eyes  and  to  lead 
him  out  of  the  village,  where  the  trumpeter  with  the  white 
flag  awaited  him. 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  cried  Armand-Louis,  "to  our  posts. 
Let  those  who  separate  say  farewell,  for  they  may  not 
meet  again." 

All  brows  were  uncovered  and  these  valiant  warriors 
exchanged  fraternal  embraces  in  ominous  silence. 

"We  are  ready,"  cried  M.  de  Collonges,  who  was  pal« 
with  emotion,  as  he  drew  his  sword  the  first  of  all. 

A  moment  afterward  the  firing  recommenced  at  both 
extremities  of  the  village. 


THE  CANNON'S  ROAR  227 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  CANNON'S  ROAR. 

While  these  combats,  followed  by  parleys,  which  were 
soon  interrupted  by  new  battles,  were  takin,q  place  at 
either  side  of  their  asylum,  Adrienne  and  Diana  were 
waiting  and  praying  in  the  house  which  Armand-Louis 
had  chosen  as  most  secure.  Here  the  two  cousins  had 
found  a  game-warden,  who  was  watching  a  child  in  fever. 
At  sight  of  them  he  stood  up  and  looked  at  them  with 
eyes  full  of  desperation  and  sombre  fire. 

"I  had  two  sons  and  a  daughter,"  he  said  to  them. 
"The  two  boys  fell  before  the  blows  of  the  Swedes  in  de- 
fending their  father's  faith.  The  girl  was  seduced  by  the 
new  doctrines  and  she  has  strayed  from  the  bosom  of 
Holy  Mother  Church.  God  has  avenged  himself.  She 
died  by  an  unknown  malady.  Of  all  that  I  loved  only 
this  child  remains  to  me,  and  his  life  is  threatened.  I 
hate  you  because  you  are  of  Huguenot  blood,  but  you  are 
being  persecuted  and  are  in  danger.    Therefore  come  in." 

He  sat  down  at  the  child's  bedside,  his  face  glowering 
with  fanatic  hate. 

Adrienne  drew  near  the  little  invalid  and  took  his  hand. 
The  child  looked  at  her  and  did  not  withdraw  his  hand. 

"God  is  good  to  those  who  pray  out  of  a  faithful  heart," 
she  said.    "Hope!" 

In  the  days  when  she  was  at  the  Grande-Fortelle 
Adrienne  had  often  had  occasion  to  tend  the  sick,  either 
of  the  people  of  the  house  or  those  in  the  neighborhood. 
She  knew  the  virtues  of  certain  plants  and  used  them  ef- 
ficaciously. Toward  evening  her  sweetness  and  kind 
manner  had  won  for  her  the  child's  heart ;  he  wished  her 
to  remain  by  him  and  felt  his  j)ain  assuaged  when  she 
caressed  him. 

Certain  now  of  being  heard  and  obeyed,  she  prepared 
a  brew  of  the  juice  of  some  herbs  gathered  in  the  garden 
and  ofTcred  it  to  him. 


228  THE  CANNON'S  ROAR 

The  game-warden  stretched  forth  his  hand  as  if  to  take 
the  vessel  which  contained  the  potion. 

"No,"  interposed  the  child,  "this  woman  is  good  to 
me," 

Then  raising  the  cup  to  his  lips  he  drank  the  draught. 

That  evening  he  slept  peacefully ;  a  copious  sweat  ex- 
uded from  his  pores  and  at  daybreak  he  was  breathing 
like  one  just  brought  to  life.  His  first  glance  caught  Ad- 
rienne,  who  was  leaning  against  the  bed. 

"I  dreamed  that  my  mother  kissed  me  last  night,"  he 
said,  stretching  his  arms  to  her.    "She  looked  like  you." 

The  game-warden  stood  up  much  perturbed.  Adri- 
enne  looked  at  him  sweetly,  saying,  in  a  low  voice  : 

"Perhaps  God  will  deign  to  save  him." 

The  child  fell  asleep  again,  holding  her  hand. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  envoy  of  John  of  Werth 
entered  the  village.  The  roar  of  battle  resounded  even 
until  nightfall.  At  times  a  spent  ball  would  flatten  against 
the  roof  of  the  house.  Every  little  while  Diana  went  to 
the  door  to  look  without.  To  the  right  or  left,  whichever 
way  she  gazed,  she  saw  but  two  great  clouds  of  smoke 
streaked  with  flame.  Then  a  few  of  the  men  would  come 
by,  bearing  on  a  litter  some  poor  wounded  fellow.  After 
having  laid  their  burden  in  a  shed  or  a  barn  they  returned 
in  all  haste  to  the  strife. 

"Farewell !"  murmured  the  wounded  one  to  his  depart- 
ing comrades. 

"Farewell,"  was  the  melancholy  response. 

Then  Adrienne  and  Diana  left  their  shelter  and  ran  to 
render  aid  and  consolation  to  the  fallen.  At  times  all 
they  had  need  to  ofYer  was  their  prayers. 

Night  fell  and  put  a  stop  to  the  attacks  of  the  Imperial- 
ists. Despite  twenty  assaults  they  had  not  succeeded  in 
breaking  the  barriers  or  dislodging  the  Huguenots  from 
the  outermost  houses  or  the  gardens  which  belted  the  vil- 
lage. Both  sides  suffered  the  loss  of  a  goodly  number  of 
men.  Several  times  the  enemy  had  gained  so  great  an 
advance  that  M.  de  Voltras  had  to>  run  at  the  head  of  the 
reserve  to  protect  the  points  in  danger. 

Armand-Louis    inspected  his  ranks ;  on  all  sides  he 


THE  CANNON'S  ROAR  229 

found  the  same  resolution  and  intrepidity ;  but  neither  M. 
d'Arrandes  ncr  any  of  his  companions  now  said : 

"Who  knows?" 

"We  can  calculate  how  many  days  we  have  to  live," 
cried  M.  de  Collonges  good  humoredly,  "by  a  rule  of  pro- 
portion. If  in  twenty-four  hours  we  lose  thirty  men,  how 
many  days  will  suffice  in  which  to  destroy  those  still 
standing?"' 

"I  don't  know  arithmetic,"  answered  M.  de  Saint-Paer, 
smiling. 

Nevertheless  there  was  but  little  talk  as  the  night- 
watches  drew  near;  the  youngest  and  maddest  heads 
found  themselves  in  serious  meditation.  They  thought 
of  their  distant  fatherland,  of  those  they  loved,  whose 
voices  they  should  hear  nevermore.  A  few  furtive  tears 
bedewed  blond  moustache ;  then  the  refrain  of  a  song 
troubled  the  impressive  silence  of  the  night. 

Magnus,  indefatigable  even  after  the  battle,  searched 
the  marshes  which  surrounded  the  village  to  discover  a 
passage.  On  all  sides  the  muddy  bottomed  water 
stretched  out  in  pathless  waste. 

Returning  from  this  excursion  he  went  to  the  quarters 
of  Armand-Louis. 

"God  is  master!"  he  said,  shaking  his  head  discon- 
solately. 

Renaud  alone  preserved  a  semblance  of  hope.  As 
soon  as  the  last  shot  had  been  fired  he  hurried  to  Diana's 
presence  and  here  forgot  everything.  When  she  recalled 
their  situation  to  him,  he  smiled. 

"By  St.  Estocade,  my  patroness,"  he  cried,  "do  you 
think  that  I  have  come  all  the  way  from  La  Rochelle  to 
die  in  Germany?  Erase  that  from  your  diary,  if  you 
please." 

Nevertheless,  at  the  first  .streak  of  dawn  the  Marquis 
of  Chaufontaine  reappeared  at  his  post  and  did  not  leave 
it  again. 

He  was  on  the  valley  side,  as  Armand-Louio  was  on 
the  plain  side,  on  the  day  after  that  which  saw  John  of 
W^crth's  envoy  return  with  his  propositions  spurned. 
To-day.  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  French,  morn- 
ing broke  without  the  crack  of  musketry. 


230  THE  CANNON'S  ROAR 

"They  are  reserving  their  music  to  salute  the  sun,"  said 
Renaud. 

The  sun  rose  and  they  heard  nothing.  An  hour 
passed ;  then  another ;  the  same  ominous  silence  sur- 
rounded the  village. 

Magnus  and  Carquefou  became  impatient.  Taking 
separate  routes,  both  of  them  stole  out  of  the  village.  The 
sentries  of  the  enemy  were  at  their  posts ;  the  men  in 
their  ranks. 

John  of  Werth  was  riding  up  and  down,  inspecting 
earthworks  that  were  being  put  up  with  superhuman  ef- 
fort, while  places  were  being  measured  off  by  the  officers. 
The  baron  was  pointing  out  his  plans  with  his  cane  to 
Madame  d'Igomer,  who  appeared  to  approve  of  them. 

"Here's  something  that  augurs  no  good  for  us," 
thought  Magnus. 

A  white  rocket  shot  out  from  the  plain  side,  a  red  one 
answered  it  from  the  valley. 

Magnus  returned  to  quarters,  v/here  Armand-Louis 
was  awaiting  his  report.  Here  he  met  Carquefou,  who 
detailed  information  identical  with  his  own.  At  either 
end  of  the  village  the  same  works  was  being  pursued  and 
the  same  calm  was  remarkable. 

"Perhaps  they're  going  to  starve  us  out,"  said  M.  de 
Collonges. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Renaud,  "if  battle  makes  holiday, 
there  is  no  reason  why  our  breakfast  should  do  like- 
wise." 

In  this  lay  the  thorny  aspect  of  the  question  for  Car- 
quefou. What  he  had  been  able  to  discover  on  the  day 
of  their  arrival  in  the  village,  had  given  him  but  a  poor 
opinion  of  its  culinary  resources.  All  that  they  had  found 
had  been  eaten  ;  and  he  was  at  a  loss  to  invent  a  means  for 
replacing  what  no  longer  existed.  But  a  kind  of  miracle 
had  been  wrought  in  the  village.  At  the  first  few  steps 
of  certain  dragoons,  whose  appetite  awoke  early,  they 
were  agreeably  surprised  by  the  sight  of  numerous  com- 
panies of  fowl  which  issued  from  various  cellars.  A  herd 
of  honest  sheep  and  inoffensive  calves,  having  been  re- 
stored to  daylight,  were  running  along  in  the  chase  of 


THE  CANNON'S  ROAR  231 

shepherds.  Cellars  and  black  holes  gave  up  their  pris- 
oners. 

"  'Tis  the  miracle  of  the  multiplication  of  the  loaves  and 
fishes,"  murmured  Carquefou.     "Blessed  be  the  Lord!" 

This  miracle  was  the  result  of  Magnus'  execution  of  his 
master's  commands.  All  their  provisions  being  eaten,  he 
had  made  known  that  his  purse  v.-as  by  no  means  empty 
and  he  had  offered  to  pay  for  everything  in  beautiful  gold 
pieces  of  full  weight.  The  poverty  of  the  village  wa." 
suddenly  transformed  into  plenty. 

Carquefou,  now  quite  reassured,  passed  muster  of  the 
cattle  and  led  the  fattest  to  one  side. 

At  noon,  when  ho  was  stacking  a  larder  with  the  leav- 
ings of  the  feast,  they  had  not  yet  heard  the  crack  of  a 
musket. 

Magnus  tried  anew  to  cross  the  marsh,  now  afoot,  now 
ahorse ;  but  ahvays,  despite  his  persistence,  unsuccess- 
fully. When  he  returned,  exhausted  by  ineffectual  effort, 
his  visage  was  commencing  to  lower. 

Evening  came ;  and  not  a  ball  had  fallen  upon  the  vil- 
lage. 

The  dragoons  supped.  The  youngest  of  them  lost  not 
a  toothful ;  the  veterans  seemed  unquiet.  The  uncer- 
tainty, more  than  the  prospect  of  battle,  weighed  upon 
their  hearts. 

Armand-I.ouis  reflected  that,  abundant  as  the  re- 
sources of  the  village  might  be,  they  must  be  exhausted 
some  day ;  and  there  must  be  no  thought  of  revictualing 
by  a  sortie. 

The  dragoons  went  to  sleep  gloomily,  wrapped  in  their 
cloaks.  Each  of  them  was  making  mute  farewells  to 
France.  Far  away,  lost  in  the  growing  shadows,  they 
could  discern  the  fires  kindled  by  the  men  of  John  of 
Werth,  to  lighten  them  in  their  work. 

A  white  rocket  whistled  into  the  air  on  the  right ;  two 
red  ones  were  the  response  on  the  left. 

"To-morrow,"  said  Magnus,  "we  will  know  what  these 
signals  mean.     When  we  do,  death  will  be  before  us." 

When  night  had  well  fallen.  y\rmand-Louis  besouglit 
his  lieutonants  to  redouble  their  watchfulness  at  the  out- 
posts.    Then  he  hurried  to  the  side  of  Adriennc. 


232  THE  CANNON'S  ROAR 

He  found  her  playing  with  the  child  of  the  game- 
warden.  The  child's  fever  had  abated.  The  father  sat 
in  a  corner  gazing  now  upon  his  boy,  now  upon  the 
beautiful  young  foreigner.  His  face  glowed  with  tender- 
ness and  gratitude.  A  burst  of  joyous  laughter,  a  child's 
laughter,  suddenly  sounded  and  filled  the  house  with 
gayety.  The  game-warden  trembled  and  silently  kissed 
the  hem  of  Adrienne's  robe.  But  noticing  the  entry  of 
Armand-Louis,  he  dropped  that  delicate  hand,  kissing 
it,  and  withdrew. 

"Well,  what  news  ?"  asked  Adrienne,  as  she  rocked  the 
child  on  her  knee. 

"I  believe  we  have  tired  the  enemy  and  that  they  are 
beating  a  retreat,"  answered  Armand-Louis,  whose  face 
wore  an  untroubled  expression  that  betrayed  naught  of 
their  dire  situation. 

He  sat  beside  Adrienne  and  they  talked  a  while  in  a 
low  voice.  Armand-Louis  replied  and  smiled  as  though 
they  were  still  at  St.  Wast  Castle.  Nevertheless,  at  the 
slightest  sound  from  without,  he  lent  ear,  fearing  a  sur- 
prise. 

"What  troubles  and  torments  have  I  not  caused  you, 
dear  friend,"  said  Adrienne,  taking  note  of  his  furtive 
glances  toward  the  door. 

Armand-Louis  did  not  reply,  but  remained  listening 
intently. 

"You  are  hiding  something  from  me,"  she  added 
quickly. 

"God  is  master,"  answered  Armand-Louis  with  a  tre- 
mor. "To-morrow  we  may  make  a  desperate  resolve 
Until  then,  do  not  fear." 

The  night  passed  uninterruptedly.  A  glorious  day  fol- 
lowed it.  It  looked  as  though  the  Imperalists  had  not  al- 
tered their  mind.  All  the  change  noticeable  lay  in  the 
earthworks  that  had  been  built  in  the  night  to  the  right 
and  left  of  the  road  leading  from  the  plain.  The  earth 
had  likewise  been  thrown  up  at  the  other  extremity  of 
the  village,  on  the  forest-side,  and  presented  the  same 
ominous  aspect. 

Magnus,  whose  brow  lowered,  met  the  glance  of  Ar- 
mand-Louis.    Then  he  turned  without  saying  a  word. 


THE  CANNON'S  ROAR  233 

Arniand-Louis  tapped  him  on  the  shoulder,  saying: 

"W  liat  docs  this  mean?" 

"Sir,"'  rcphed  the  old  soldier,  "we  pulled  ourselves  out 
of  Magdebourg  and  out  of  Ravennest  Castle.  We  con- 
quered at  Drachenfeld  ;  but  I'm  afraid  we'll  find  our  tomb 
here." 

The  sun  was  now  high  in  the  heavens,  w-hen,  for  the 
second  time,  the  same  officer,  who  had  come  for  parley 
before,  presented  himself  at  the  outposts. 

"Xight  brings  with  it  counsel  sometimes,"  he  said  to 
Armand-Louis.  "You  have  had  tw'O  nights  in  which  to 
reflect.     Have  you  done  so?" 

"Yes." 

"And  you  surrender?" 

"No." 

An  expression  of  profound  sadness  overspread  the 
countenance  of  the  Bavarian. 

"Perhaps,  if  I  were  in  your  place  I  should  act  as  you 
do,"  he  added.  "Nevertheless,  my  heart  bleeds  at  the 
thought  of  the  shedding  of  so  much  noble  blood." 

"All  our  days  are  counted,  sir.  No  drop  of  blood 
shall  flow,  unless  God  so  wills." 

Armand-Louis  conducted  the  officer  in  person  to  the 
lines,  after  which  every  man  flew  to  his  post.  The 
dragoons  felt  instinctively  that  the  terrible  day  was  come. 

They  had  hardly  drawn  up  in  line  ere  a  trumpet  call 
resounded  from  the  ranks  of  John  of  Wcrth.  Almost  im- 
mediately afterward  a  cloud  of  white  smoke  covered  the 
road.  A  ball  whistled  through  the  branches  of  the  bar- 
ricade and  felled  a  dragoon  who,  at  two  paces  from  Ar- 
mand-Louis. was  renewing  the  priming  of  his  pistols. 

"Ah,  the  breastworks!"  cried  Magnus. 

Another  roar  answered  the  first  volley  and  a  ball  that 
came  from  the  depths  of  the  valley,  toppled  over  a  tree  at 
the  door  of  a  house. 

The  Huguenols  understood  now  why  John  of  Werth 
had  left  them  undisturbed  for  a  whole  day. 

"\Vc  shall  soon  be  obliged  to  see  these  gentlemen  at 
close  range,"  said  Renaud. 

The  cannons,  of  which  there  were  two  on  either  side, 
answering  each  other  alternately,  wrought  terrible  havoc, 


234  THE  CANNON'S  ROAR 

but  never  broke  the  courage  of  the  French.  Some  of 
them,  inckiding  Renaud,  leaped  forward  and  by  a  better 
directed  and  more  copious  fire,  succeeded  in  decimating 
the  ranks  of  the  enemy.  Their  platoons  of  greater  num- 
ber imitated  this  manoeuver  and  boldly  led  to  the  last  line 
of  houses  under  cover  of  walls  and  orchards,  they  gath- 
ered batteries  here  and  picked  off  the  cannonaders  from 
the  side  of  their  guns. 

In  order  to  dislodge  the  besieged,  columns  of  infantry 
were  cast  upon  them,  which  were  in  turn  shattered  by  the 
fury  and  expertness  of  the  Huguenots,  as  the  flinging  of 
a  stone  shatters  a  vase  of  clay.  Every  field,  garden  and 
ditch  was  strewn  with  the  dead. 

Armand-Louis  was  ever  the  foremost  in  the  attack  and 
the  last  to  retreat.     Magnus  never  left  his  side. 

In  the  intervals  between  assaults  Renaud  sent  for  news 
of  Armand-Louis,  as  the  latter  also  did  to  know  how  mat- 
ters were  progressing  at  his  friend's  post.  Magnus  and 
Carquefou,  who  acted  as  couriers,  crossed  in  their  hur- 
ried expeditions  and  exchanged  a  word  as  they  passed. 

"All  goes  well  down  there,"  said  the  old  reiter.  "We 
have  twelve  dead  and  twenty  wounded — who  are  still 
fighting." 

"On  our  side  it  hails — hails  iron  and  lead,"  answered 
Carquefou.  "I'm  frozen  in  the  marrow  and  burning  in 
the  face.     Our  men  are  dying  a  little." 

At  sunset  a  final  charge,  led  by  John  of  Werth  in  per- 
son, brought  the  Imperialists  up  to  the  barricade,  whose 
thickness  had  been  increased  by  a  fresh  stack  of  hewn 
trees.  The  Huguenots,  weakened  by  cruel  losses,  had 
just  been  dislodged  from  their  outposts.  Armand-Louis 
serried  his  men  and  fell  upon  the  enemy,  who  were  striv- 
ing to  penetrate  into  the  village  by  the  breaches  their 
balls  had  effected.  He  caught  sight  of  John  of  Werth 
and  he  discerned  the  swordknot,  embroidered  by  Ad- 
rienne,  hanging  from  his  hilt. 

"Come  hither,  thou !"  cried  the  Huguenot,  felling  a 
lansquenet  at  each  blow  to  clear  his  way  to  the  baron. 

"Dost  take  me  for  an  adventurer  like  thee?  I  am  the 
general  of  an  army,"  replied  the  Bavarian,  as  he  directed 
his  soldiers  toward  a  point  not  well  guarded. 


THE  CANNON'S  ROAR  235 

M.  d'Arrandcs  divined  his  purpose  and  rushed  forward 
at  the  head  of  the  httle  band  he  held  in  reserve.  The 
terrific  shock  of  the  Huguenots  stopped  the  Imperiahsts. 
They  were  attacked  in  front  by  M.  d'Arrandes  and  on  the 
Hank  by  Armand-Louis.  They  withdrew,  driven  back, 
with  swords  in  their  vitals,  through  the  orchard  they  had 
crossed.     They  held  this  position  with  difficulty. 

At  this  juncture  Renaud  rejoined  Armand-Louis. 

"  'Tis  a  good  quarter  of  an  hour  that  we've  been  doing 
nothing  below  there."  he  said.  "I  have  left  the  com- 
mand in  the  hands  of  M.  de  Saint-Paer  and  have  come 
hither  to  see  how  things  are.  'Twas  the  awful  noise  in 
this  quarter  that  bothered  my  ears." 

With  a  bound  he  was  in  the  thick  of  the  strife. 

Madame  d'Igomer,  who  watched  the  battle  ahorse  from 
a  small  hill,  wearing  a  velvet  doublet  in  the  belt  of  which 
hung  a  poinard,  saw  him  forcing  a  passage  in  the  midst 
of  the  combatants.  A  mixture  of  rage,  admiration  and 
sorrow  suddenly  changed  the  expression  of  her  features. 

"Ah,  if  he  had  only  loved  me  !"  she  murmured. 

At  this  moment,  John  of  Werth,  who  was  roaring  like 
a  lion  torn  from  its  prey,  strove  to  drive  back  the  fleeing 
by  beating  them  with  the  flat  of  his  sword,  but  darkness 
fell  upon  the  plain. 

"The  game's  postponed,"  he  said,  finally. 

The  cannons,  which  had  not  been  fired  since  the  men 
were  fighting  hand  to  hand,  bellowed  anew. 

"Halt!"  cried  Armand-Louis. 

In  the  first  ranks  of  those  who  stopped  at  the  sound 
of  his  voice,  Armand-Louis  saw  M.  d'Arrandes.  He 
gave  him  his  hand,  saying: 

"Ah,  you  arrived  in  goo(l  time,  friend." 

"Thus,  Captain,  you  can  one  day  say  to  the  Viscount 
d'Arrandes.  my  father,  that  I  did  my  duty,"  cried  the  gen- 
tleman, joyously. 


236  THE  MARSH 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  MARSH. 

Armand-Louis,  his  heart  throbbing  with  joy  over  his 
victory,  walked  through  the  ranks  of  his  friends.  A 
goodly  number  of  them  failed  to  answer  the  roll-call. 
Many  others,  covered  with  blood,  could  no  longer  lift 
either  sword  or  musket.  Some  lay  in  their  cloaks  await- 
ing death.  The  eyes  of  all  of  them  were  turned  towards 
the  setting  sun.  Perhaps  they  were  thinking  of  France, 
hidden  below  the  horizon. 

At  the  first  sound  of  this  furious  battle,  Adrienne  had 
leaped  out  of  the  cottage  in  which  slept  the  sick  child. 
Diana  followed  her,  gasping  for  breath,  with  distended 
nostrils. 

The  game-warden,  still  gloomy  and  absorbed,  walked 
behind  them. 

"Dost  hear?    It  is  the  cannon,"  said  Diana. 

"Yes,  it  is  the  cannon,"  murmured  the  warden. 

"Oh !  They  are  lost !"  cried  Adrienne. 

"Ah.  A  ball  goes  farther  than  a  sword.  To-day  or  to- 
morrow all  will  be  over,"  added  the  warden. 

Diana  seized  the  arm  of  Adrienne  feverishly,  saying : 

"I  have  always  thought  that  a  terrible  day  would  come 
which  should  summon  all  the  energy  of  a  woman's  heart. 
Dost  thou  not  feel  the  same  resolution  ?" 

"I  understand  it,"  replied  Adrienne. 

"God  forgive  me  if  it  be  a  crime,  but  never  while  I  live 
shall  I  fall  again  into  the  hands  of  John  of  Werth !" 

"They  are  of  the  same  age  as  was  my  poor  daughter," 
murmured  the  warden,  the  tears  flowing  slowly  down  his 
cheek. 

Towards  evening  the  child,  which  Adrienne  had 
watched  and  fondled  like  a  mother,  for  three  days,  called 
her  to  his  bedside. 

"Kiss  me,"  he  said  to  her,  "and  I  will  sleep  well." 


THE  MARSH 


237 


Adricnne  kissed  the  cliild,  and  while  Diana,  pale  and 
haggard,  looked  out  of  the  window,  hearkening  the 
clamor  of  the  assault,  she  knelt  by  the  bed,  joining  her 
hands  and  prayed : 

"Lord,  my  God,  I  have  sacrificed  my  life  to  you,  spare 
him  whose  name  you  read  in  my  heart." 

The  warden,  who  had  been  walking  up  and  down  in 
the  room,  suddenly  drew  near  her  and  laying  his  hand 
on  her  shoulder,  said : 

"I  had  sworn  to  let  all  your  people  die  in  this  corner 
of  the  world,  as  my  two  sons  have  died.  But  you  have 
saved  the  life  of  this  child.  I  will  save  you  and  all  who 
are  with  you." 

Adrienne  stood  up  and  regarded  him  in  amazement. 

"Asa  has  never  lied,"  continued  the  warden.  "You  have 
opened  the  way  to  my  heart  by  pity.  When  night  is 
quite  fallen,  tell  him  who  came  to  see  you  yesterday,  to- 
gether with  his  companions  in  arms,  that  I  swear  to  you, 
I  will  save  you  all." 

Meanwhile  the  dragoons  whom  death  had  spared  were 
busy  in  digging  trenches  in  which  to  bury  their  unhappy 
comrades,  who  had  fallen  in  battle. 

Even  M.  de  Collonges  was  grave.  The  trenches  were 
many,  and  many  also  were  the  wounded.  He  was  cal- 
culating for  how  many  hours  the  defense  might  last,  and 
he  scarcely  found  sufficient  for  two  days,  after  which 
none  should  survive,  so  swiftly  did  death  swing  his  scythe. 
At  this  time  in  the  midst  of  the  flaring  torches  which 
illuminated  the  spots  where  the  battle  had  raged  most 
fiercely,  Adrienne  appeared,  searching  for  Armand- 
Louis.  The  men  gathered  here  moved  away  that  they 
might  be  alone.  In  a  broken  voice  she  told  him  what 
she  had  just  heard  from  the  warden. 

"I  have  faith  in  the  word  of  this  man,"  she  added. 
"Therefore  assemble  the  dragoons  in  the  village  square." 

"God  is  with  us."  cried  Armand-Louis. 

At  this  cry,  the  dragoons  who  had  gone  away  came 
rushing  towards  him  and  he  informed  them  of  the  prom- 
ise made  by  Asa  to  his  sweetheart.  Soon  the  strange 
news,  that  a  man  had  promised  to  rescue  those  who  were 
left  of  the  Huguenots,  was  borne  from  mouth  to  mouth. 


238  THE  MARSH 

An  hour  later  the  entire  squadron  was  arrayed  in  the 
order  of  battle  in  the  village  square. 

The  better  to  hide  the  retreat,  Armand-Louis  and  Re- 
naud  took  care  to  set  blazing  great  fires  along  the  stretch 
of  barricades  and  at  the  abandoned  bridge.  The  sentries 
exchanged  halloas  as  they  moved  away  to  make  it  be- 
lieved that  the  guard  was  to  be  prolonged  until  morning. 
The  Huguenots  formed  in  the  order  of  march  noisily. 
Carquefou  flung  his  hat  into  the  air,  saying:  "Another 
hour  of  this  life,  enameled  with  balls,  and  the  excitement 
should  have  killed  me !" 

Almost  immediately  the  warden  arrived  with  torches. 
He  kindled  one  and  approaching  Armand-Louis,  he 
said : 

"Divide  your  soldiers  into  two  platoons  of  twenty,  and 
let  the  one  who  marches  at  the  head  of  each  bear  a  torch." 

The  ranks  of  the  squadron  broke,  and  each  platoon 
was  formed  in  silence. 

"Now,  follow  me,"  said  Asa. 

He  walked  at  the  head  of  the  column  and  led  the  way 
towards  the  marsh,  which  belted  the  village  with  rushes 
and  weeds. 

For  some  time  he  searched  at  the  border  of  the  stag- 
nant water,  then  halting  beside  an  uprooted  willow,  he 
said : 

"This  is  the  place."  Then  turning  to  Armand-Louis, 
he  pointed  to  the  marsh  whose  surface  was  covered  with 
sword-grass  and  weeds.  A  light  breeze  rippled  the  water. 

"The  way  of  safety  lies  before  us,"  he  continued.  "No 
one  knows  it,  excepting  me.  I  will  go  first,  the  two 
young  ladies  shall  follow  me,  the  men  after  us." 

"And  I  will  be  the  last,"  said  Armand-Louis. 

"Let  each  of  you  be  very  careful  to  ride  your  horses  in 
my  tracks,"  added  Asa.  "If  one  of  you  goes  out  of  the 
line  of  my  march,  he  will  be  lost  in  the  swamp.  The 
path  is  not  broad,  only  one  man  can  ride  abreast.  Keep 
your  ears  and  eyes  open.  All  that  vigilance  can  secure  I 
promise,  the  rest  belongs  to  God." 

"But,"  asked  M.  de  Collonges,  "will  not  these  torches 
light  us  on  our  way?" 

"Look  at  the  fires  which  glide  across  the  marsh.  How 


THE  MARSH  239 

many  women  cross  themselves  when  they  see  those  er- 
rant flames !  Do  you  believe  that  the  torches  which  are 
to  guide  you  will  increase  their  number?" 

Having  said  this,  Asa  urged  his  horse  into  the  marsh. 
The  water  splashed  up  from  the  animal's  hoofs.  Renaud 
seized  the  warden  by  the  arm. 

"By  the  blood  of  Christ,  this  is  not  reason,''  he  said. 

"She  saved  my  child,"  said  Asa,  pointing  to  Adrienne, 
"and  you  mistrust  me." 

Then  he  advanced.  Adrienne  followed  him  resolutely, 
and  the  whole  troop  did  likewise. 

The  wind  rose  and  shook  the  bushy  forests  of  the 
weeds,  which  murmured  plaintively. 

At  times  a  wild  bird,  awakened  by  the  passage  of  the 
cavaliers,  sprang  up  with  a  cry  and  with  frightened  wing 
skimmed  the  cloak  of  a  dragoon.  Soon  the  last  soldier 
had  left  the  shore  and  Armand-Louis  followed  him. 
Xaught  disturbed  the  silence  in  which  the  village  slept 
save  the  occasional  halloas  of  the  Imperial  sentries.  The 
long  line  of  Huguenots  plunged  further  and  further  into 
the  marsh.  They  rode  slowly  one  after  the  other,  seek- 
ing each  other's  tracks,  the  head  of  each  horse  on  the 
crupper  of  the  horse  which  preceded.  None  spoke.  The 
torches,  shaking  in  the  wind,  threw  red  streaks  of  light 
upon  the  dismal  surface  of  the  water,  which  were  lost 
in  the  midst  of  the  weeds.  x\t  times  the  horses  sank  in 
the  slime  up  to  their  houghs.  Once  or  twice  their  great 
breasts  almost  disai)peare(l  in  a  bed  of  floating  grass,  but 
just  when  the  earth  seemed  to  be  lost  beneath  their  feet, 
they  found  a  solid  soil  which  lay  hidden  from  all  eyes 
under  the  sleeping  water. 

Asa  did  not  keep  a  regular  gait.  He  hesitated  and 
glanced  about  him,  then  he  leaned  over  the  mane  of  his 
horse,  consulting  the  still  surface  of  the  marsh  with  a 
piercing  eye,  sounding  the  thick  mesh  of  grass,  turning 
to  the  right,  then  to  the  left,  then  stopping  for  a  minute 
or  making  a  sign  to  Adrienne  who  followed  him.  when 
he  would  beat  about  until  he  found  again  the  invisible 
line  of  passage,  which  wound  under  the  water.  At  this  a 
smile  would  brighten  his  pale  visage,  and  he  would  press 
forward  again  before  her. 


240  THE  MARSH 

This  long  journey  lasted  almost  two  hours.  Finally 
a  wooded  shore  appeared  by  the  dim  light  of  the  stars,  a 
more  solid  footing  grew  under  the  horses'  feet,  and  a  leap 
bore  Asa  upon  the  steep  bank  of  the  marsh.  He  turned, 
and  each  dragoon  in  his  turn  did  likewise.  Not  a  smgle 
man  had  strayed.  Armand-Louis  was  the  last.  Before 
him  the  country  spread  out,  hidden  by  a  curtain  of  forest. 

A  spontaneous  impulse  threw  Adrienne  and  Diana  into 
each  other's  arms.  Armand-Louis  uncovered.  All  the 
cavaliers  imitated  him,  and  a  deep  sigh  of  benediction 
rose  to  God.  All  these  brave  soldiers  had  left  death  be- 
hind them  and  hope  seemed  to  be  calling  them  to  the 
other  end  of  the  horizon. 

"Take  the  road  to  the  right,"  said  Asa,  pointing  to  the 
north.  "Follow  it  until  you  come  to  a  cross  of  stone. 
There  take  the  road  which  is  built  of  stone.  Each  step 
you  make  in  that  direction  will  put  you  further  from  the 
Imperialists." 

Meanwhile  the  dragoons,  who  had  drawn  up  in  battle 
array,  shook  their  damp  cloaks.  Armand-Louis  drew  a 
long  purse  from  his  pocket  and  tried  to  pass  it  to  the 
warden.  But  the  first  words  of  the  sombre  Catholic 
stopped  him. 

"You  owe  me  nothing,"  he  ,said.  "I  did  this  for  a 
woman  and  not  for  you.  God  is  my  witness  that  if  you 
had  been  alone,  I  should  have  left  the  village  to  its  fate 
and  would  have  done  nothing  to  save  you." 

Asa  brushed  back  his  hair,  which  was  wet  with  the 
moisture  of  the  marsh,  and,  casting  a  glance  upon  the 
cavaliers,  he  added : 

"One  thing  amazes  me,  which  is,  that  I,  Asa  Herr, 
have  had  the  heart  to  save  from  death  soldiers  serving 
under  the  Swedish  colors.  May  the  bones  of  my  sons 
forgive  me !    And  now  farewell." 

He  took  Adrienne's  hand,  bore  it  respectfully  to  his 
lips,  and  leaped  back  into  the  marsh.  Almost  immedi- 
ately his  silhouette  was  lost  in  the  blackness  of  the  night. 

"Your  goodness,"  said  Armand-Louis,  approaching 
Adrienne,  "has  done  more  for  our  salvation  than  our  own 
courage." 


THE  MARSH  241 

Then,  with  resolute  tread,  he  urged  his  horse  along  the 
path  which  Asa  had  indicated. 

Sunrise  surprised  them  at  the  cross  of  stone,  where  the 
roads  intersected.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  they 
could  see  neither  cavalry  nor  infantry. 

"Gentlemen,'"  said  AI.  de  CoUonges  gaily,  "behold  us 
now  as  Ulysses  when  he  escaped  from  the  cave  of  Poly- 
phemus.    Let  us  gallop  a  little  to  warm  our  blood." 

As  they  were  driving  on  towards  the  north,  John  of 
Werth  commanded  his  batteries  to  open  fire  again. 
Lodged  in  fields  and  orchards,  his  musketeers  awaited  a 
rally  of  the  Huguenots.  Astonished  at  hearing  or  seeing 
nothing,  John  of  Werth  led  a  reconnoitre  as  far  as  the 
barricade. 

Not  a  ball  shot  out  from  the  branches.  The  captain, 
who  was  versed  in  stratagem,  feared  an  ambush.  He 
drew  up  his  troop  behind  a  rising  ground  and  command- 
ed the  batteries  to  redouble  fire. 

In  the  village  all  remained  silent  and  undisturbed. 

A  few  of  the  more  hardy  pikemen  scaled  a  wall  around 
which  a  goodly  number  of  their  comrades  had  found 
death  the  evening  before.  They  ventured  even  beyond 
posts  they  had  until  now  been  unable  to  attain. 

Madame  d'Igomer,  who  saw  them  suddenly  scatter 
like  a  flight  of  birds  of  prey  behind  the  barricade  which 
masked  the  village,  gave  her  impatient  steed  free  rein, 
and,  leaping  over  the  obstacles,  came  up  with  them  in  a 
few  seconds. 

The  main  street,  so  long  and  so  heroically  defended 
by  the  dragoons,  opened  before  her.  Some  few  women 
were  walking  here  and  drawing  water  from  the  fountains. 

In  an  instant  she  had  gained  the  limits  of  the  village. 
Everywhere  were  to  be  seen  pools  of  blood  and  mounds 
of  freshly  turned  earth ;  but  nowhere  a  single  soldier. 
Far  away  in  the  distance  the  road  stretched  deserted. 

"But  where  can  they  be?"  she  cried,  tormented  by  a 
maddening  rage. 

It  was  now  two  or  three  hours  since  the  game-warden 
had  returned  to  his  cottnge. 

John  of  Werth  had  followed  Madame  d'Igomer  at  the 
head  of  a  regiment. 


242  THE  MARSH 

"Do  you  understand  this?"  she  asked  him.  "I  tell  you 
Satan  protects  them." 

But  John  of  Werth  did  not  believe  in  such  mysterious 
protection.  He  was  quite  sure  that  the  Huguenots  had 
not  escaped  by  the  road  which  crept  down  the  valley.  He 
stopped  the  first  peasant  that  passed. 

"Dost  thou  know  whether  there  be  any  path  through 
the  marsh?''  he  asked. 

"Our  fathers  have  spoken  of  a  path  which  could  be 
seen  years  ago,"  answered  the  peasant  trembling.  "But 
the  secret  has  long  since  been  lost.  The  game-warden, 
Asa,  used  to  run  across  it,  when  he  was  young,  in  order 
to  surprise  the  ducks.  I  was  a  little  child  then.  A  great 
many  people  have  been  drowned  in  trying  to  imitate 
him." 

John  of  Werth  desired  to  see  Asa,  ?nd  was  conducted 
to  his  cottage. 

"I  am  told  that  thou  knowest  the  path  which  leads 
across  the  marsh,"  he  said.  "We  have  discovered  the 
hoof  prints  of  many  horses  on  its  borders.  Hast  thou 
served  as  guide  to  the  Huguenots?" 

"Me!"  answered  the  warden.  "I  have  been  watching 
this  child  all  night  along.  Besides  my  two  sons  died  in 
fighting  the  Swedes.  One  at  Leipzic,  the  other  at  the 
passage  of  the  Lech  " 

"And  thou  believcst  that  if  the  cursed  Huguenots, 
whom  we  are  pursuing,  have  set  foot  in  this  marsh  with- 
out a  guide,  not  one  of  them  will  leave  it  alive  ?" 

"Not  a  single  one." 

John  of  Werth  left  the  cottage. 

"Oh  my  sons !"  murmured  the  warden,  as  he  kissed  his 
sleeping  child. 


WOLF   AND    SHE-WOLF  243 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

WOLF  AND  SHE-W^OLF. 

Madame  d'Igomer  herself  had  discovered  many  hoof- 
prints  in  divers  places  on  the  shore  of  the  marsh.  She 
looked  for  them  under  the  water  and  saw  them  vanish 
here  and  there  in  the  midst  of  a  bed  of  grass  which  the 
wind  caused  to  foam.  Her  anxious  looks  questioned  the 
horizon.  Had  those  whom  she  was  pursuing  with  in- 
defatigable hate  succeeded  in  crossing  this  reputed  un- 
fordable  spot,  or  were  they  sleeping  under  the  surface  of 
this  leaden  water?  The  space  replied  not.  She  heard 
only  the  plaintive  cries  of  the  curlews  beating  their  wings 
among  the  weeds.  A  thousand  variant  sentiments 
troubled  her  heart.  It  was  mingling  of  joy  and  deep  and 
violent  pain.  He  who  had  betrayed  her  and  whom  she 
had  loved,  had  he  not  paid  the  penalty  with  his  life? 
What  a  death  was  this  in  the  sinister  waters  of  a  marsh, 
and  how  well  her  vengeance  had  served  her!  But  the 
last  look  of  Renaud  had  doubtless  met  that  of  Diana, 
their  hands  had  joined  in  a  supreme  clasp,  death  had 
united  them,  and  now  nought  could  ever  separate  them. 
Suddenly  the  thought  that  perhaps  they  had  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  opi)osite  bank  crossed  her  mind.  A 
shudder  passed  through  her  frame  and  she  thought  only 
of  retracing  them  to  capture  them  and  inflict  her  worst 
upon  them. 

John  of  Werth  was  only  half  assured  by  the  declaration 
of  the  game-warden.  He  had  too  often  witnessed  the 
incredible  resources  which  Armand-I<ouis  and  Renaud 
drew  from  their  courage  and  their  address,  not  to  dou1)t 
that  they  had  once  more  overcome  the  obstacles  heaped 
up  in  their  way.  I'urther,  would  they  have  exposed 
their  companions  to  an  almost  certain  death  if  they  had 


244  WOI^P   AND   SHE-WOLF 

not  by  some  means  secured  the  secret  of  crossing  the 
marsh  ? 

Such  he  knew  their  character  to  be,  that  they  would 
have  twenty  times  preferred  to  gallop  their  horses  into  his 
cannons'  mouths  and  upon  his  saber  blades,  thus  breaking 
a  way  through  his  ranks  or  perishing  in  the  effort.  The 
hoofprints  on  the  muddy  edge  of  the  marsh  were  every- 
where very  numerous  on  the  right  as  well  as  on  the  left 
shore.  The  cattle  of  the  village  and  the  beasts  of  burden 
were  wont  to  haunt  these  places  for  pasture.  The  peas- 
ants who  were  questioned  answered  vaguely.  Some  had 
seen  nothing,  others  had  slept.  The  most  of  them,  mad 
with  terror,  declared  that  since  the  siege  of  the  village 
had  begun  they  had  not  left  their  cottages.  In  fine,  no 
information  could  be  gained  from  them.  Weary  of  ques- 
tioning them,  John  of  Werth  sent  scouts  here  and  there 
to  find  the  exact  spot  at  which  a  body  of  cavalry  might 
have  crossed.  Their  zeal  was  spurred  by  the  anxious 
anger  and  feverish  impatience  of  Madame  d'Igomer. 
She  rode  along  the  edge  of  the  marsh,  leaning  over  her 
horse's  neck,  searching  for  a  trace  which  should  put  her 
on  the  track  of  the  fugitives.  Suddenly  she  was  seen  to 
stop,  and  pointing  to  a  spread  of  glade  marked  in  a 
straight  line  by  the  hoofs  of  fifty  horses,  she  cried : 

"There  it  is !     There !" 

"I  see  nothing  except  the  hoofprints  which  are  every- 
where to  be  found,"  said  John  of  Werth,  who  had  gal- 
loped up  to  her  in  answer  to  her  call. 

"But  look  there,"  replied  Madame  d'Igomer,  pointing 
to  a  bow  of  ribbon,  which  floated  among  the  bushes  a 
short  distance  from  the  shore.  "She  passed  there.  That 
bit  of  silk  hanging  on  the  bush,  does  it  not  prove  what  I 
said  ?  Ah,  I  recognize  it.  This  scarlet  bow  was  worn  by 
Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  at  her  breast.  Behold  the 
path  under  the  water,  behold  the  deep  hoofprints,  one 
after  the  other,  which  lose  themselves  in  the  distance." 

"  'Tis  true,"  said  John  of  Werth.  "If  they  have  passed, 
shall  we  not  pass  also  ?  Ah,  that  bow  of  ribbon,  I  want 
to  know  whether  Renaud  de  Chaufontaine  did  not  fall 
beside  it." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  ?" 


WOLF    AND    SHE -WOLF  245 

"Show  you  the  way.  Will  you  follow  ine  if  I  suc- 
ceed?" Then  inspired  by  the  demon  of  hate,  Madame 
d'Igomer  spurred  her  horse  into  the  marsh  before  anv 
one  could  stop  her. 

"Beware,  you  are  tempting  God,"  cried  out  one  of  the 
peasants,  whom  John  of  Werth  had  been  questioning. 

But  her  horse's  hoofs  had  just  struck  solid  ground. 
Madame  d'Igomer  shook  her  hand  with  disdain  and  pur- 
sued her  perilous  course.  The  scarlet  bow  of  ribbon, 
which  her  eyes  never  quitted,  attracted  her  like  a  magnet. 
For  some  minutes  the  cavaliers  of  John  of  Werth  followed 
her  with  their  eyes,  hesitating  on  the  shore,  tempted  to 
follow  her,  but  awed  by  the  mysteries  of  this  spread  of 
water,  which  was  veiled  here  and  there  by  reeds  and 
bushes. 

"And  you  are  men,  soldiers !"  cried  back  Madame 
d'Igomer,  who  rode  still  onward. 

Eight  or  ten  cavaliers  galloped  in  her  tracks.  John 
of  Werth  never  stirred. 

"If  they  find  the  pass  I  shall  follow,"  he  murmured. 

The  cavaliers  rode  chanccfully,  some  recklessly,  some 
with  circumspection.  After  an  advance  of  a  hundred 
steps  one  of  them  sank  suddenly  into  a  gut,  his  horse  dis- 
appearing up  to  the  breast.  Another  felt  the  mire  cave 
under  him  and  leaped  back.  A  third  slipped  into  a  hole 
and  with  difficulty  swam  back  to  the  shore.  Then  they 
all  halted. 

Madame  d'Igomer  continued  to  advance  alone.  The 
bow  of  scarlet  ribbon  nodded  in  the  wind  and  smiled  to 
the  sun. 

Suddenly  her  horse  stumbled.  One  of  his  hind  legs 
sank  up  to  the  haunch.  With  a  violent  effort  he  tore  him- 
self out  of  the  mire  only  to  fall  into  a  hole  at  the  other 
side.  For  an  instant  he  struggled  to  regain  the  path  he 
had  lost.  Each  strain  plunged  him  deeper  into  the  mire. 
His  hoofs  beat  the  mud  frantically,  splashing  it  up  into 
the  eyes  of  his  mistress,  til!  it  almost  blinded  her.  Then 
the  water  reached  to  her  knees.  Despite  her  brave  heart 
she  was  terrified. 

"Help  I    Help  I"  she  screamed. 


246  WOLF    AND    SHE-WOLF 

John  of  Werth  set  the  example  by  plunging  resolutely 
into  the  marsh.     Several  of  his  men  followed  him. 

But  the  frightened  steed  of  Madame  d'Igomer  no 
longer  obeyed  the  bridle,  and  leaping  and  kicking  madly 
only  dug  deeper  into  the  sinking  earth.  He  reared  sud- 
denly, slipped  and  fell  on  his  side. 

"Help !     Help !"  screamed  Madame  d'Igomer  anew. 

Buried  up  to  her  shoulders,  her  hands  clutched  wildly 
at  the  bushes.  The  weight  dragged  them  down,  they 
bent  and  the  water  reached  up  to  her  chin.  She  uttered 
a  piercing  shriek,  her  arms  beat  the  slimiy  waters  con- 
vulsively, and  then  she  vanished  beneath  them. 

John  of  Werth  urged  his  horse  straight  ahead.  He 
was  dumbstruck,  and  the  pallor  of  death  was  on  his  brow. 
When  he  reached  the  hole  into  which  Madame  d'Igomer 
had  been  buried  alive  the  green,  greasy  water  was  placid 
as  a  mirror.  A  silk  scarf,  which  he  picked  up  on  the 
point  of  his  sword,  was  the  sole  sign  that  a  woman  had 
disappeared  there. 

For  a  moment  John  of  Werth  glanced  at  the  edge  of 
the  abyss,  harrowed  by  the  silence  which  succeeded  the 
struggle  of  youth  against  death.  Two  or  three  men  who 
had  dismounted  attempted,  with  him,  to  drag  Madame 
d'Igomer  from  her  tomb,  but  the  marsh-bed  yielded  not 
its  prey. 

Convinced  that  they  could  do  nothing  and  that  if  they 
succeeded  in  discovering  her  body,  it  would  not  be  the 
only  one  to  be  borne  back  to  the  shore,  John  of  Werth 
remounted. 

"Now  let  us  avenge  her!"  he  said. 

Then,  having  regained  the  shore,  he  commanded  a 
part  of  his  troop  to  speed  along  the  north  road  while  he, 
at  the  head  of  the  others,  undertook  to  round  the  marsh. 

The  French  had  a  great  advance  upon  them,  but  cour- 
iers sent  in  all  directions  could  not  fail  to  overtake  them. 
Their  only  care  was  not  to  mistake  the  route  that  had 
been  followed. 

Towards  evening  one  of  the  couriers  returned  to  John 
of  Werth.  He  had  discovered  the  tracks  of  the  Hugue- 
nots. 


WOLF    AND    SHE-WOI.P  247 

"Dead  or  alive,  I'll  have  them,"  cried  the  baron,  dig- 
ging the  spurs  into  his  winded  horse. 

His  mad  chase  carried  him  into  a  territory  covered 
with  the  corpses  of  men  and  horses.  Far  away  a  fleece 
of  white  smoke  blanched  the  crest  of  the  heather. 

"Curse  them,"  roared  John  of  Werth,  "they  have 
passed  here,"  and  he  spurred  his  horse  anew. 

In  truth  Arniand-Louis  and  Renaud  had  just  passed. 
When  they  reached  this  country  they  found  a  body  of 
cavalry,  which  barred  their  way  at  a  chain  of  hills  into 
which  opened  a  narrow  defile.  They  had  needs  gain  this 
point  with  the  utmost  celerity.  To  parley  meant  the  loss 
of  precious  moments,  and  would  have  allowed  the  Im- 
perialists to  form  ranks.  Divided  as  they  now  were,  the 
riuguenots  might  break  through  their  line  almost  with- 
out striking  a  blow. 

A  rising  ground  enabled  the  Huguenots  to  arrive  just 
before  the  encampment. 

"Let  us  trot  now,"  said  Armand-Louis.  "When  with- 
in pistol  range,  gallop  all  together." 

The  sight  of  the  squadron  suddenly  debouched  on  the 
plain  at  first  surprised  the  Imperialists.  Some  of  them 
leaped  to  their  saddles ;  others  prepared  their  arms  while 
remaining  on  foot.  The  attitude  of  the  squadron  ap- 
proaching on  an  easy  trot  drove  all  mistrust  from  their 
minds.  Nevertheless  two  or  three  cavaliers  were  sent 
out  to  reconnoitre  them. 

Armand-Louis  advanced  constantly.  Adrienne  anil 
Diana  were  in  the  midst  of  the  troop,  flanked  by  ten  dra- 
goons, chosen  from  the  stoutest  and  best  mounted  of  his 
men. 

They  allowed  the  cavaliers  to  draw  near.  Then  when 
the  latter  summoned  them  to  halt,  at  a  sign  from  Ar- 
maud-Louis,  the  Huguenots  dashed  madly  upon  the  en- 
campment, pistols  in  hand. 

They  were  as  a  rushing  torrent  upon  a  field  of  ripe; 
corn.  The  hole  they  made  was  broad  and  bloody,  ant! 
hardly  half  the  Imperialists  had  drawn  sabre  ere  the 
Huguenots    galloped  towards  the  defile. 

A  few  stray  balls  followed  them  as  they  attained  the 
foot  of  the  hill-range. 


248  WOLF   AND   SHE-WOLF 

John  of  Werth  reached  the  spot  as  the  Imperialists, 
comparable  to  a  flock  of  wild  birds  dispersed  by  the  shot 
of  a  hunter,  were  consulting  as  to  what  course  they 
should  pursue. 

The  horse  of  the  baron  shuddered  as  he  drew  up  and 
dropped  dead. 

"You  hesitate?"  he  cried,  as  he  made  known  his 
identity. 

He  flung  a  wounded  cavalier  from  his  saddle,  and,  tak- 
ing his  place,  said : 

"Forward !  Ten  ducats  of  gold  to  the  first  man  who 
kills  a  Huguenot !" 

An  old  officer  took  the  baron's  bridle  in  his  hand  and, 
pointing  before  him,  said : 

"Behold,  my  lord !" 

John  of  Werth  looked  and  saw  the  dragoons  heaving 
great  boulders  of  rock  into  the  defile.  The  roar  of  the 
massive  rocks  as  they  rolled  down  the  mountain  side 
reached  his  ears. 

"How  many  of  us  are  there?"  asked  John  of  Werth. 

"About  a  thousand." 

"Good.  Five  hundred  of  us  will  fall  and  five  hundred 
will  pass.     Forward !" 

The  Imperialists,  inspired  by  the  voice  of  the  baron, 
galloped  onward  at  a  mad  pace. 


A  FIGHT  TO  THE  DEATH  249 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

A.  FIGHT  TO  THE  DEATH. 

Armand-Louis,  who  had  been  observing  the  enemy, 
collected  his  dragoons  around  him. 

"Monsieur  de  Saint-Paer,"  he  said,  "you  will  take  one 
hundred  men  with  you  and  ride  straight  ahead  to  the  end 
of  the  defile.  Perhaps,  and  this  is  my  hope,  you  will  find 
some  Swedes  at  the  other  side  of  the  mountain.  Then 
Mademoiselle  de  Pardaillan  and  Mademoiselle  de  Souv- 
igny  will  be  saved.  Renautl  and  I  and  Monsieur  \"oltras 
ancl  Monsieur  de  Collonges  will  sustain  the  attack  of  the 
Imperialists.  Fifty  men  will  suffice  to  guard  this  pas- 
sage." 

"Why  do  you  not  yourself  remain  with  the  young 
ladies?"  cried  M.  de  Saint-Paer.  "It  is  our  part  to  fight, 
your  part  to  save  them." 

"If  the  Swedes  are  not  on  the  other  side  of  the  moun- 
tain, will  not  your  mission  be  the  more  perilous?  It  is 
with  your  sword  that  you  must  hew  your  way  to  them." 

M.  de  Saint-Paer  was  about  to  reply. 

"Have  you  not  freely  chosen  me  as  your  commander?" 
asked  Armand-Louis. 

"Yes." 

"Then,  sir,  obey.  It  is  no  longer  your  friend  who 
speaks,  it  is  your  captain." 

Then,  as  the  brow  of  M.  de  Saine-Paer  darkened  sadly, 
Armand-Louis  took  his  hand,  saying: 

"You  have  two  wounds,  I  know,  sir.  Give  the  others  a 
chance  to  show  later  such  glorious  scars." 

Meanwhile,  the  Imperialists  came  galloping,  mad  with 
a  thirst  for  blood.  The  farewells  of  the  dragoons  were 
hasty,  sad,  almost  mtite.  .Adrienne  and  Diana,  who  had 
not  heard  thf^  above  conversation,  set  out,  astonished  at 
not  finding  Armand-Lotn"s  and  Renaud  at  their  side.     At 


250  A  FIGHT  TO  THE  DEATH 

the  first  turn  which  the  defile  made  in  the  mountain,  M. 
de  Saint-Paer  heard  a  crash  as  of  thunder  behind  him. 
It  was  the  beginning  of  the  fusillade. 

"Oh,  God !"  cried  Adrienne,  "they  are  fighting."  As 
she  spoke,  both  she  and  Diana  reined  up  their  horses. 

"Madame,"  said  M.  de  Saint-Paer,  "you  are  in  my 
charge.  I  have  answered  for  your  safety  upon  my 
honor.     Forward." 

The  two  young  women  lowered  their  veils  to  hide  their 
tears,  and  as  their  steeds  followed  the  pass  of  the  defile, 
the  roar  of  the  conflict  gradually  died  in  the  distance  be- 
hind them.  M.  de  Saint-Paer  rode  in  the  rear,  with 
bowed  head. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  the  boulders  of  rock  cast 
down  by  the  Huguenots  blocked  the  defile.  But  the 
spaces  between  them  allowed  two  or  three  men  to  pass  at 
the  risk  of  life. 

John  of  Werth,  furious  with  rage,  led  the  Imperialists 
against  this  improvised  rampart. 

There  was  one  thousand  on  one  side,  fifty  on  the  other. 
But  the  narrow  road  was  full  of  windings.  Scarcely  two 
men  could  march  abreast,  and  every  ball  from  the  rocks 
above  felled  one  of  them.  A  wall  of  corpses  soon  grew 
up  before  the  wall  of  stone.  The  Imperialists  did  not 
count  their  dead  ;  but  kept  advancing  constantly. 

The  dragoons  were  on  foot,  having  hidden  their  horses 
behind  the  angle  of  an  enormous  rock.  When  one  of 
them  fell  wounded,  he  sat  up  and  ceased  fighting  only  at 
the  last  ebb  of  his  life-blood. 

At  times  a  savage  onslaught  bore  some  of  the  Imperi- 
alists  up  to  the  crest  of  the  rocks,  or  gliding  in  between 
masses  which  no  efifort  could  break.  But  then  sword- 
points  or  butt  of  muskets  met  them.  Magnus  and  Car- 
quefou  had  armed  thmselves  with  long  pikes,  on  which 
they  spitted  the  assailants.  "This  is  an  exercise  which 
recalls  to  me  the  siege  of  Berg-Op-Zoom,"  said  Magnus, 
"when  with  great  lance  blows  we  precipitated  Spaniards 
into  ditches  full  of  water." 

"Alas,"  replied  Carquefou,  "these  pike  strokes  make 
me  think  of  the  kitchen  of  St.  Wast  Castle.     But  there 


A  FIGHT  TO  THE  DEATH  251 

we  spitted  only  honest  capons.  We  had  good  appetites 
there  and  no  goose-tlesh  as  now." 

Evening  fell.  Then  darkness  rose  from  the  depths  of 
the  valley  and  enveloped  the  mountain.  The  blows  be- 
came less  frequent  and  attacks  less  rapid.  The  Imperial- 
ists seemed  tired  of  making  a  pasture  of  the  dead.  A 
final  wave  of  men  had  been  broken  against  the  wall,  be- 
hind which  the  Huguenots  were  intrenched.  Soon  the 
voices  of  the  of^cers  could  be  heard,  connnanding  the 
retreat. 

"Where  dost  thou  fancy  the  young  ladies  are  now?" 
Armand-Louis  asked  of  Renaud. 

"In  the  plain  doubtless,"  replied  the  latter. 

The  order  to  mount  passed  softly  from  mouth  to 
mouth.  Each  dragoon  in  turn  left  his  fighting  post. 
Armajid-Louis,  Renaud,  Magnus  and  Carcjuefou  were 
the  last  to  stand  up  noiselessly.  They  sighed  as  they 
looked  at  those  who  could  never  rise  again.  M.  de  Voltras 
and  M.  de  Collonges  were  alone.  The  latter  was  bent 
over  in  his  saddle,  his  hand  gripped  on  the  pommel.  The 
other  sat  erect  and  smiling. 

The  horses  of  the  dead  were  led  by  the  bridle,  and 
Armand-Louis,  who  remained  in  the  rear,  gave  the  signal 
to  set  out. 

Only  twenty  men  were  there.  Thirty  slept  in  eternal 
sleep,  their  faces  upturned  to  heaven. 

The  dragoons  left  behind  them  a  wall  impassable  to 
cavalry;  but  since  night  had  fallen  John  of  Werth,  who 
suspected  a  flight  similar  to  that  which  hatl  saved  them 
once  before,  had  a  troop  of  determined  men  charge 
against  the  barricade  every  quarter  of  an  hour.  He 
judged  of  the  presence  of  the  Huguenots  by  the  blows 
with  which  they  answered  these  attacks. 

When  the  troop  was  scattered  Armand-Louis  signalled 
to  Renaud,  Magnus  and  Canjucfou  ;  the  four  of  them  re- 
turned to  their  tracks.  They  hid  themselves  in  the  fis- 
sures of  the  rocks  at  the  moment  when  a  slight  noise  gave 
them  to  believe  that  a  new  assault  was  being  attem])ted. 

Spying  from  their  ambush  they  saw  shadows  moving 
along  the  defile  and  silently  approaching  them. 


252  A  FIGHT  TO  THE  DEATH 

"Fire!"  cried  Armand-Louis  suddenly.  Four  shots 
cracked  on  the  air.     Four  shadows  vanished. 

Seizing  the  muskets  of  the  men  lying  dead,  the  four 
fired  again.     The  assailants  then  retreated. 

"They  are  still  there,"  thought  John  of  Werth. 

Without  losing  a  minute,  Armand-Louis  jumped  into 
saddle,  and,  followed  by  Renaud,  Magnus  and  Carque- 
fou,  galloped  upon  the  tracks  of  M.  de  Voltras  and  M.  de 
Collonges.  Carquefou  rubbed  his  hands  the  whole 
length  of  his  body  and  said  to  Magnus : 

"Dost  fancy  that  I  am  still  alive?" 

"Almost,"  replied  the  veteran. 

"If  thou  swear  it,  I  believe  thee.  But  I  am  astonished 
at  it." 

They  soon  regained  their  company,  and  together  they 
arrived  at  the  extremity  of  the  defile.  New  horizons 
opened  before  their  gaze.  The  rising  sun  disclosed  a 
peaceful  country.  In  the  distance  they  saw  columns  of 
smoke,  and  at  the  edge  of  a  large  field  the  troop  of  M.  de 
St.  Paer  was  awaiting  in  good  order  the  coming  of  Ar- 
mand-Louis. 

"There  they  are!"  cried  M.  de  Collonges  joyously, 
who  was  the  first  to  decry  them.  M.  de  Voltras,  who  for 
the  past  hour  had  been  riding  with  bowed  head,  smiled 
and  fell  from  his  saddle. 

"Farewell,"  he  said,  "at  least  the  Imperialists  will  not 
take  me  alive." 

And  he  gave  up  his  soul,  his  hand  clutching  his  sword- 
hilt. 

While  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud,  broken  with  fatigue 
and  devoured  with  fever,  seated  themselves  beside  Ad- 
rienne  and  Diana  under  the  shade  of  a  cluster  of  trees, 
Carquefou  and  Magnus  kept  guard  on  either  side. 

Almost  immediately  one  of  them  discerned  a  troop  of 
cavaliers  in  tremendous  haste  coming  down  the  defile  of 
the  mountain,  which  the  Huguenots  had  just  crossed, 
and  the  other  beheld  far  oflf  in  the  plain  a  cloud  of  dust 
streaked  with  a  thousand  flashes. 

"Above  there,  John  of  Werth,"  said  Carquefou. 

"Below  the  unknown!"  said  Magnus. 

"Everywhere  nothing  but  blows !       Zounds  but  'tis 


A  FIGHT  TO  THE  DEATH  253 

pleasant  this  travelling  in  Germany,''  added  Carquefou. 

M.  de  Saint-Pacr  approached  Armand-Louis.  "Our 
horses  are  exhausted,"  he  said.  "On  this  side  there  is  a 
curtain  of  trees,  beyond  the  brook.  Perhaps  'tis  there 
that  \vc  shall  die." 

Armand-Louis  glanced  towards  the  mountain.  "John 
of  W'erth  c;'.n  have  but  a  handful  of  men  with  him.  The 
danger  therefore  lies  not  in  his  quarter,"  said  he.  "Let 
us  march  upon  this  squadron  which  is  coming  towards 
us,  and,  sword  in  hand,  let  us  by  a  final  effort  conquer 
some  horses  to  replace  those  who  are  quivering  under 
our  spurs." 

The  dragoons  serried  ranks.  At  Armand-Louis'  ges- 
ture, as  he  pointed  his  sword  toward  the  plain,  they  all 
knew  what  he  expected  from  them.  A  shiver  ran  through 
the  valiant  troop  and  they  all  nerved  themselves  to  fall 
in  this  supreme  struggle.  None  hoped  to  come  out  of 
it  alive. 

As  they  approached  the  brook  indicated  by   M.   de 
Saint-Paer,  a  blast  of  wind  brushed  the  dust-cloud  which 
enveloped  the  squadron.     They  could  now  distinguish 
the  men,  the  horses,  the  arms. 
"The  Swedes !"  cried  Magnus. 

A  trembling  ran  through  the  decimated  ranks  of  the 
La  Guerche  Dragoons. 

"Long  live  King  Gustavus  Adolphus !''  roared  the  im- 
petuous voice  of  Armand-Louis. 

And,  as  if  the  new-born  ardor  of  the  Huguenots  had 
passed  from  their  souls  to  electrify  the  flanks  of  their 
steeds,  each  horse,  which  had  seemed  almost  foundered, 
bounded  off  at  a  gallop. 

The  brook  was  crossed,  the  plain  flew  under  the  hoofs 
and  Armand-Louis  flung  himself  into  the  astonished 
arms  of  Arnold  of  P>rahe. 

Adrienne  and  Diana  were  kneeling  on  the  ground  be- 
fore the  whole  regiment,  and  with  hands  uplifted  were 
rcnrlering  thanks  to  God. 

The  Swedes  waved  their  flags  and  sabres.  The  dra- 
goons had  hung  their  hats  on  the  point  of  their  swords. 
A  deafening  series  of  roars  rose  to  the  heavens. 

"Behold  our  Iliad  at  an  end,"  cried  Renaud,  kissing  in 


254  A  FIGHT  TO  THE  DEATH 

transport  Diana's  hand.       "Now  that  all's  past  I  may 
confess,  that  I  have  been  mightily  afraid." 

"Three  hundred  of  us  set  out  and  fifty  return,"  said  M. 
de  Saint  Paer. 

When  the  dragoons  turned  their  attention  again  to 
the  Huguenots,  they  saw  that  John  of  Werth  had  wheeled 
about  and  was  marching  along  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 
His  sword  hung  in  his  scabbard. 

For  some  time  Armand-Louis  followed  him  with  his 
eyes. 

"Are  you  beating  about  the  country,  or  are  you  the 
advance  guard  of  the  army?"  he  at  length  asked  Arnold 
of  Brahe. 

"The  king's  army  entire  is  near  here,"  replied  Arnold. 
"One  part  lies  on  the  left,  the  other  behind  us.  That  of 
the  Duke  of  Friedland  occupies  a  formidable  position  on 
the  right.  Gustavus  Adolphus  is  going  to  meet  it.  Bat- 
tle is  imminent,  and  this  battle  between  Sweden  and  Aus- 
tria will  decide  the  destiny  of  Germany." 

"Ah,"  cried  Renaud,  "we  arrive  in  good  time." 

"A  little  too  soon  perhaps,"  Carquefou  murmured  tim- 
idly. 

Renaud  glared  at  him  askance. 

"  'Tis  but  a  personal  opinion,"  added  Carquefou,  "and 
applies  only  to  me." 

Armand-Louis  meanwhile  kept  his  eyes  on  the  httle 
band  led  by  John  of  Werth.  "The  assurance  of  his 
march,  the  direction  he  follows,  both  convince  me  that  he 
knows  fully  whither  he  is  bound,"  he  said  at  length. 

"And  you  are  not  mistaken.  Before  this  evening  he 
will  be  in  the  quarters  of  General  Wallenstein  at  Lutzen." 

Renaud,  who  had  heard  every  word  of  this  short  dia- 
logue, approached  Armand-Louis. 

"Captain,"  he  said,  "you  are  questioning  Arnold  of 
Brahe  as  though  you  had  a  project  in  view." 

"There's  something  missing  from  this  hilt,"  answered 
Armand-Louis,  lightly  touching  his  sword. 

"A  sword-knot  perhaps?" 

"Thou  hast  said  it." 

"And  thou  wilt  seek  it  out?" 

Armand-Louis  nodded. 


A  FIGHT  TO  THE  DEATH  255 

"  'Tis  mad,  but  I'm  with  thee,"  replied  Renaud. 

"Now  not  a  word."  pursued  Armand-Louis.  "Four 
eyes  are  watcliing  us,  four  beautiful  eyes,  which  read  our 
souls.     Magnus  and  Carquefou  will  be  of  our  company." 

"Thou  knowest  well  that  the  one  goes  nowhere  with- 
out the  other." 


256  THE    WOLF  AT  BAY 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  WOLF  AT  BAT. 

One  hour  later,  while  Adrienne  and  Diana  were  being 
taken  to  the  camp  of  the  king,  under  the  escort  of  a 
guard  of  honor,  four  well  mounted  men  galloped  on  the 
tracks  of  John  of  Werth. 

Had  any  one  met  them  they  would  have  taken  Ar- 
mand-Louis,  Renaud,  Magnus  and  Carquefou  for  four 
body  guards  of  His  Excellency  the  Duke  of  Friedland. 
They  wore  his  uniform,  his  arms  and  colors.  Magnus 
had  secured  a  complete  disguise  and  they  spurred  in- 
trepidly onward  towards  the  enemy's  lines. 

It  was  not  long  before  they  reached  the  outposts  of  the 
Imperial  army,  where  they  declared  themselves  to  be  spe« 
cial  couriers.  All  opposition  disappeared  before  their 
uniforms.  Some  of  the  soldiers  against  whom  they  had 
fought  the  evening  before  even  told  them  where  they 
might  best  look  for  John  of  Werth,  for  whom,  said  Mag- 
nus, they  had  important  messages.  They  learned  also 
that  all  the  companies  scattered  throughout  the  land  had 
received  orders  to  join  the  grand  army. 

An  aide-de-camp  whom  they  met  informed  them  that 
during  the  night  John  of  Werth  had  received  a  courier 
from  the  commander-in-chief  and  that,  despairing  of  ever 
capturing  the  Huguenots,  he  thought  now  only  of  his  of- 
ficial duties.  According  to  this  message,  he  was  pror 
visionally  to  halt  in  a  village  situated  at  the  extreme  left 
of  the  base  of  operations,  and  here  await  further  intsruc- 
tions. 

"I  believe  that  it  is  just  these  instructions  which  we 
are  taking  to  him,"  Armand-Louis  replied  hardily. 

"Make  haste  then.  The  Bavarian  general  may  remain 
only  a  few  hours  in  the  house  where  he  is  stopping." 
Then  the  aide-de-camp  saluted  Armand-Louis  and  disap- 
peared. 


THE   WOLF  AT  BAY  257 

"Zounds !"  said  Carqucfou,  "this  village  whither  we 
are  being  sent  looks  to  be  just  like  a  cavern." 

"That  is  v.hy  we  must  go  to  it,"  replied  Renaud. 

Armand-Louis  always  galloped  ahead.  When  the  four 
cavaliers  reached  the  village,  night  had  quite  fallen.  They 
rode  through  the  streets,  which  were  incumbered  with 
soldiers  and  arms,  without  molestation.  In  the  middle 
of  the  place  they  saw  a  large  house  resplendent  with  light. 
Within  was  John  of  Werth.  Four  body  guards  stalled 
their  horses  in  a  yard  nearby  and  emptied  a  bag  of  oats 
before  them.     The  poor  beasts  were  jaded. 

Towards  midnight  Magnus,  who  never  slept  with  more 
than  one  eye,  noticed  a  courier  run  up  his  foaming  horse 
before  the  house  of  the  Bavarian  general.  This  courier 
bore  the  livery  of  Wallenstein.  Magnus  nudged  Carquc- 
fou with  his  elbow. 

"Get  thou  some  flagons  of  old  wine  and  two  or  three 
jugs  of  brandy,"  said  he,  "while  I  go  and  keep  guard  be- 
low there." 

When  Magnus  spoke  Carquefou  had  the  habit  to  obey 
unquestioningly.  While  Magnus  directed  his  steps 
towards  the  door  which  the  courier  had  just  entered,  Car- 
(juifou  hurried  down  a  neighboring  street,  determined  to 
find  flagons  and  jugs  well  filled  even  if  he  had  to  pillage 
every  inn  cellar  in  the  village.  Soon  afterwards  Wallen- 
stein's  courier  came  out  of  the  house  of  John  of  Werth. 
Magnus  accosted  him  and,  having  invited  him  to  refresh 
himself,  he  conducted  him  to  the  spot  where  he  had  left 
Carqut-fou.  Carquefou  had  secured  both  the  wine  and 
the  brandy. 

"Ah,  comrade,"  said  Magnus,  breaking  the  neck  of  a 
bottle,  "a  drink  or  two  can  do  you  no  harm.  You  look 
like  a  man  who  has  ridden  too  fast  not  to  be  thirsty." 

"My  throat  is  as  dry  as  a  bit  of  old  leather,  and  my 
palate  as  hard  as  horn,"  replied  the  cavalier,  seizing  a 
bottle  and  gluing  it  with  both  hands  to  his  lips. 

This  fraternal  reception  disposed  the  courier  to  become 
confidential.  lie  did  not  conceal  from  the  two  good  fel- 
lows who  welcomed  him  so  conliallv  that  he  was  fagged 
out  after  galloping  all  day,  and  that  the  prospect  of  serv- 


258  THE   WOLF  AT  BAY 

ing  as  guide  to  John  of  Werth  in  a  new  expedition 
simply  appalled  him. 

"I  have  had  no  sleep  for  the  last  three  nights,"  he  said. 

"Bah !"  interposed  Magnus,  handing  him  another  bot- 
tle, "the  general  will  surely  give  you  time  to  take  a  rest," 

"Not  at  all.  We  must  start  out  at  once.  The  de- 
spatches which  I  gave  him  are  very  urgent  and  he  is  not 
the  man  to  lose  any  time." 

Magnus  exchanged  a  wink  with  Carquefou.  The  cav- 
alier drank,  closed  his  eyes,  drank  again  and  yawned  so 
Vv^idely  that  he  was  in  danger  of  dislocating  his  jaws. 

"Baron  John  of  Werth  resembles  somewhat  the  Duke 
of  Friedland,"  continued  the  cavalier.  "As  the  general, 
so  the  lieutenant.  With  them  a  mar.  must  march  straight 
or  die.     That  is  what  awaits  me." 

"You  interest  me,  my  friend,"  replied  Magnus,  "and  if 
the  proposition  be  agreeable  to  you,  I  know  somebody 
who  would  perhaps  take  your  place." 

"Who?" 

"Myself." 

The  cavalier  opened  wide  his  eyes  in  amazement. 

"Whatever  I  do  it  is  in  goodness  of  heart,"  added  Mag- 
nus.    "Is  John  of  Werth  going  far?" 

"To  headquarters  now,  but  he  will  pass  through  a 
large  town  where  there  is  some  artillery.  The  roads  are 
bad,  a  bridge  across  a  river  is  half  broken.  If  I  fall 
asleep,  good-night,  I  will  break  my  neck." 

"My  dear  friend,"  interposed  Carquefou,  "you  must 
not  break  anything." 

"It  is  imprudent,"  added  Magnus.  "I  who  know  the 
roads  will  cross  the  bridge  straight." 

The  courier  could  no  longer  see  clearly.  His  leaden 
head  tossed  from  one  shoulder  to  the  other,  but  he  still 
had  a  ray  of  reason  left. 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "you  are  very  prompt  to  help  people. 
There  have  been  wolves  who  have  taken  the  skin  of  a 
shepherd  to  devour  the  sheep." 

Then  Magnus  said  with  an  innocent  air : 

"You  are  not  stupid,  comrade.  The  truth  is  that,  to- 
gether with  the  desire  to  serve  you  there  is  a  wish  to 
curry  the  good  graces  of  the  field  marshal,  Wallenstein. 


THE    WOLF  AT  BAY  259 

Our  friend  here,  who  will  not  leave  you  a  drop  of  this 
excellent  wine  if  you  do  not  be  wary,  has,  like  me,  certain 
peccadillos  to  be  eased  by  performing  some  honest  ser- 
vice. " 

"One  cannot  be  perfect,"  Carquefou  commented,  never 
ceasing  to  fill  the  courier's  bumper. 

"That  is  why,"  added  Magnus,  "we  desire  to  be  the 
ones  that  shall  lead  John  of  Werth  in  triumph  to  head- 
quarters.    This  done,  pardon  will  be  ours." 

"Pardon  for  you  ;  and  for  me,  what  ?"  cried  the  cavaliei-. 

"For  you  five  ducats  of  gold.     Behold  them  here !" 

The  courier  took  the  five  pieces,  shook  them  in  his 
hand,  laughed  stupidly  and  replied  with  half-shut  eyes : 

"Ha !  Ha !  I  am  no  gudgeon.  I  knew  cursed  well 
that  there  was  an  eel  under  the  rock.  I'm  a  good  devil; 
so  be  oflf  and  break  your  back  in  my  place.  Good  luck 
attend  you!  Stay;  don't  tell  this  to  the  comrades  whom 
I  left  at  the  village  gate.  They  would  want  a  bite  of? 
my  cake." 

As  he  spoke  the  courier  slid  the  ducats  into  his  pocket, 
not  without  exceeding  difficulty  discovering  this  recep- 
tacle. 

The  door  of  John  of  Wcrth's  house  was  opened.  Sev- 
eral men  came  out  and  hurried  towards  the  stables. 

"Halloa!"  mumbled  the  courier  in  a  thick  voice, 
"Baron  John  of  Werth  is  making  ready  to  leave.  He 
does  not  know  you,  he  may  question  you.  If  he  says 
'Prague,'  answer  'Friedland.'  " 

The  head  of  the  courier  dropped  down  on  his  breast 
and  he  fell  fast  asleep. 

"Make  haste  now!"  murmured  Magnus. 

The  courier  had  been  cautiously  laid  on  a  bed  of  straw 
and  locked  in  the  stable.  Magnus  and  Carquefou  de- 
tailed their  arlventure  to  .Xrmand-Louis  and  Renaud.  and 
the  f(nir  hurriedly  mounted  and  posted  themselves  at  the 
door  of  John  of  Werth. 

The  Bavarian  appeared.  As  he  leaped  into  his  saddle 
he  cast  a  rapid  glace  at  the  four  cavaliers.  By  the  light 
of  a  torch  which  was  held  by  a  groom,  he  recognized  the 
uniform  of  Wallenstein's  body  guard,  but  he  did  not  see 


26o  THE    WOLF  AT  BAY 

the  man  who  had  come  into  his  presence  a  short  while 
before. 

"Where's  the  courier?"  he  asked. 

Magnus  leaned  over  toward  John  of  Werth  and  gave 
the  military  salute,  saying: 

"We  took  care  of  him ;  he  is  sleeping  in  there." 

Then  in  a  weak  voice,  and  without  the  flutter  of  an 
eyelid,  under  the  stern  glance  of  John  of  Werth,  he 
added  in  a  mysterious  tone : 

"I  am  called  'Prague,'  as  he  is  called  'Friedland.'  " 

"Let's  be  ofif,"  said  the  Bavarian. 

John  of  Werth  took  with  him  only  one  officer. 

Magnus  and  Carquefou  rode  in  advance,  Armand- 
Louis  and  Renaud  remained  in  the  rear,  and  the  entire 
company  plunged  into  the  open  country,  which  lay 
flooded  in  the  light  of  the  moon. 

They  cut  through  space,  their  heads  above  their  steeds, 
the  skirts  of  their  long  cloaks  floating  in  the  breeze  be- 
hind them.  They  passed  swift  as  shadows  by  trees, 
houses  and  mills,  challenged  only  by  the  snarling  bark  of 
occasional  dogs.  John  of  Werth  at  times  exchanged  a 
few  words  with  his  aide-de-camp. 

At  length  a  white  line,  broadening  on  the  horizon,  an- 
nounced the  coming  of  morning.  The  pale  light  de- 
scending from  the  sky  revealed  a  river  in  their  path,  and 
across  this  river  lay  a  stone  bridge  whose  arches  were 
half  broken.  The  church  spire  of  a  town  stood  up  away 
in  the  distance.  At  the  moment  when  Magnus  and  Car- 
quefou galloped  on  the  bridge,  the  sound  of  a  whistle 
pierced  the  air.  They  both  halted  abruptly  midway  be- 
tween the  two  shores.  John  of  Werth  and  his  aide-de- 
camp mechanically  reined  up  their  horses.  Armand- 
Louis  and  Renaud  were  upon  them  in  an  instant. 

"What's  wrong?"  cried  John  of  Werth. 

"I  am  Armand-Louis  of  La  Guerche,"  said  the  Hugue- 
not uncovering,  "and  here  is  my  friend,  the  Marquis  Re- 
naud of  Chaufontaine,  who  will  be  my  witness." 

John  of  Werth  gazed  about  him. 

"It  boots  naught  to  look  for  help,"  interposed  Renaud. 
"Magnus  and  Carquefou,  whom  I  beg  to  introduce,  keep 
good  guard  there.     Nobody  is  near.     We  are  four  and 


THE    WOLF  AT  BAV  261 

you  are  two.  The  simplest  tiling  for  you  to  do  is  to  un- 
sheath." 

"Now  if  this  duel  be  not  to  your  taste,"  added  Armand- 
Louis.  "or  if  you  do  not  care  to  run  its  chances,  you  can 
avoid  it  by  giving  me  that  swordknot  you  wear." 

John  of  W'erth,  smiling  with  a  disdainful  air,  replied : 

"I  fancied  I  had  to  deal  with  a  man  of  war,  not  with  a 
comedian.  Near  here  are  two  armies  which  are  to  play 
the  game  of  battles  for  the  crowns  of  two  nations.  Your 
place  is  marked  out  for  you  on  one  side,  as  mine  is  for  me 
on  the  other.  Let  the  quarrel  between  an  emperor  and  a 
king  be  settled  and  I  swear  to  you  on  my  word  of  a 
gentleman  that  we  will  meet  whenever  your  good  pleas- 
ure wills." 

"I  have  you  here,"  answered  Armand-Louis,  "and  I'll 
keep  you.  Only  one  of  us  must  fall,  and  thus  the  armies 
will  be  only  one  soldier  less  and  they  can  fight." 

The  plain  was  deserted.  Not  a  human  being  could  be 
seen  on  either  side  of  the  river.  John  of  Werth's  gaze 
surveyed  the  horizon  and  it  stopped  at  the  spire  of  the 
town  to  which  the  military  mission,  confided  to  him  by 
Wallenstein,  summontd  him.  What  would  he  not  have 
given  to  see  a  squadron  come  fiying  thence !  But  Ar- 
mand-Louis had  already  drawn  his  sword. 

"You  have  said  a  duel,"  spoke  John  of  Werth  as  he 
drew  his.  "If  I  down  you  am  I  free?  If  I  fall  can  Cap- 
tain Steinwald,  my  escort,  go  upon  his  way?" 

"I  swear  it  to  you,"  answered  Armand-Louis. 

"Then  to  arms !" 

Armand-Louis  and  John  of  Werth  leaped  to  the 
ground,  and,  having  chosen  a  spot  at  the  middle  of  the 
bridge,  they  crossed  swords. 

Renaud  stood  behind  Armand-Louis,  the  statuesque 
Captain  Steinwald  behind  John  of  Werth.  Magnus  and 
Carquefou  kept  guard  at  cither  end  of  the  bridge. 

Between  the  two  combatants  there  was  the  same  hate, 
the  same  youth,  tlu-  same  ardor,  the  same  strength. 
Each  sword-point  sought  the  other's  heart ;  not  a  word, 
not  a  cry,  not  a  sigh.  Naught  was  heard  but  the  clash 
of  steel  against  steel.     The  chances  looked  equal.  Neither 


262  THE  WOLF  AT  DAY 

one  nor  the  other  of  the  adversaries  weakened ;  neither 
one  nor  the  other  recoiled.  But  Armand-Louis'  duels 
with  Renaud  and  Count  Pappenheim  in  the  past  had  not 
been  in  vain.  No  feint  was  strange  to  him,  no  trick  was 
there,  no  attack,  that  he  did  not  know. 

A  flame  of  anger  crossed  the  visage  of  John  of  Werth. 
For  an  instant  he  fell  off  guard  and  the  sword  of  Ar- 
mand-Louis,  swift  as  a  dart,  pierced  his  arm  through. 
The  hand  of  the  Bavarian  opened  and  his  weapon  drop- 
ped on  the  bridge.  Armand-Louis  leaped  forward  to 
seize  it,  when  John  of  Werth,  snatching  it  up  with  his 
unwounded  hand,  pitched  it  into  the  river. 

"Perish  the  sword  which  betrayed  me,"  he  shouted. 
"Perish  the  sword-knot !" 

With  one  spring  Armand-Louis  leaped  over  the  par- 
apet after  the  sword.  They  saw  him  sink  in  the  whirling 
stream  and  then  suddenly  reappear,  holding  in  his  hand 
the  weapon  with  its  sword-knot.  With  the  other  hand 
he  swam  and  soon  reached  the  shore. 

John  of  Werth,  pale  with  rage,  was  holding  his  wound- 
ed arm. 

"You  are  free,  sir,"  said  Armand-Louis. 

Then  he  leaped  astride  his  horse,  which  Magnus  had 
brought  to  him,  and  they  galloped  off,  leaving  John  of 
Werth  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  bridge.  In  his  mad 
course  towards  the  Swedish  line  he  pressed  the  wet 
sword-knot  to  his  heart,  saying: 

"Thank  God,  Adrienne  is  mine !" 

When  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud  reached  the  camp 
of  Gustavus  Adolphus,  Arnold  of  Brahe  had  just  pre- 
ceded them  with  the  two  young  ladies  in  charge. 

The  Marquis  of  Pardaillan  was  stronger  than  his  sick- 
ness and  was  in  the  presence  of  the  king.  Not  having 
heard  from  the  two  adventurers,  nor  from  Adrienne  and 
Diana,  his  only  hope  now  was  to  avenge  them  or  die. 

Suddenly  a  great  noise  was  heard  outside  of  his  tent, 
and  the  sound  of  those  two  loved  voices  made  his  heart 
leap.  As  he  stood  up  Adrienne  and  Diana  fell  into  his 
arms. 

"Both  still  alive!"  cried  the  old  man,  as  the  tears 
streamed  down  his  cheeks. 


THE   WOLF  AT  BAY  263 

"My  Lord,  Marquis."  said  Renaud,  "I  was  not  to  re- 
appear before  you  until  I  brought  your  daughter  with 
me.     Have  I  kept  my  word?" 

"My  son.  embrace  me !"  said  the  old  man. 

"Sweet  heaven!"  exclaimed  Renaud,  his  knees  trem- 
bling. But  the  father  gave  room  to  the  gentleman  and 
the  soldier  immediately. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  Marquis  of  Pardaillan,  "the 
affairs  of  Sweden  must  be  prefered  to  the  affairs  of  the 
family.  Let  us  give  up  these  few  hours  to  prayer  and 
rest  To-morrow  the  God  of  war  will  decide  the  fate  of 
Gustavus  Adolphus.     I  also  will  be  ahorse." 


264  VAE  VICTIS 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

VAE  VICTIS. 

The  camp  presented  a  scene  of  suppressed  agitation. 
The  squadrons  and  battalions  were  taking  their  rank  in 
the  order  of  battle.  The  men  knew  that  on  the  morrow 
the  King  of  Sweden  was  to  measure  himself  with  Wal- 
lenstein.  The  officers  came  and  went  giving  orders. 
Cannons  were  rolled  in  place  and  stalwart  veterans  ex- 
amined their  arms. 

Armand-Louis  hastened  to  the  presence  of  Gustavus 
Adolphus,  who  received  him  with  open  arms.  He  was 
struck  with  the  grave  demeanor  of  the  king. 

"I  bring  back  to  you  what  is  left  of  the  La  Guerche 
Dragoons,"  said  Armand-Louis  after  he  had  informed 
the  King  in  a  few  words  of  the  state  of  his  afifairs. 

"So  much  the  better,"  answered  Gustavus  Adolphus. 
"We  cannot  have  too  many  good  soldiers." 

"Do  you  think,  sir,  that  Wallenstein  is  more  redoubt- 
able than  Count  Tilly?  The  town  of  Lutzen  will  be  an- 
other Leipzic  for  Your  Majesty.  It  will  baptise  a  new 
victory." 

"God  is  master.     Grant  that  He  may  hear  you !" 

Then  with  a  firm  hand  Gustavus  Adolphus  traced  to 
Armand-Louis  the  plan  of  the  positions  occupied  by  the 
two  armies. 

"I  am  not  in  a  condition  to  wait  till  winter  any  more 
than  Wallenstein,"  explained  the  king.  "I  ofifer  him 
battle  and  he  accepts,  so  as  not  to  merit  the  reproach 
which  has  been  cast  up  to  him  since  Nuremberg,  that  he 
did  not  dare  to  measure  arms  with  the  King  of  Sweden. 
Vv'allenstein  is  a  great  general.  Every  combination  that 
the  genius  of  man  can  invent  to  assure  victory  to  his  flag 
he  will  discover.  How  many  who  are  alive  to-day  will 
sleep  in  eternity  to-morrow !  You  will  remain  near  me, 
La  Guerche." 


VAE   VICTIS  265 

"That  means  I  will  be  in  the  most  dangerous  place.  I 
thank  you,  sire,  for  this  privilege." 

Then,  leaving  the  King's  tent,  Armand-Louis  sought 
Arnold  of  BraJie  to  have  news  of  the  Duke  of  Lauen- 
bourg. 

"He  has  been  gone  two  days,"  Arnold  said. 

"God  grant  that  he  may  never  return,"  cried  Armand- 
Louis. 

Some  hours  still  separated  the  night  from  the  moment 
when  the  great  battle  should  begin.  Armand-Louis  left 
the  camp  to  see  Adrienne  once  more.  As  he  was  passing 
from  it  he  met  Magnus.  The  veteran  was  shadowing  a 
man  of  gaunt  appearance  who  was  urging  onward  a 
horse  of  thin  and  half-starved  build. 

"If  Magnus  is  still  the  man  I  knew  him  to  be,"  said  the 
old  reiter.  "it  is  my  opinion  that  I  saw  the  scowl  of  this 
rascal  in  the  inn  where  Lord  Mattheus  wore  the  cloak  of 
a  monk." 

"What  matters  it  to  thee?"  said  Armand-Louis, 

"It  is  said  in  Africa  that  jackals  go  before  hyenas  in 
search  of  prey.  Master  Innocent  might  well  be  the  spy 
of  a  bandit  called  Jacobus,  whose  angular  profile  and  red 
beard  I  fancied  I  recognized  when  you  left  to  go  to  the 
king.     I  want  to  talk  with  him  about  this." 

But  just  when  Magnus  was  about  to  turn,  Master  In- 
nocent plied  his  spurs  and  the  lean  and  half-starved  horse 
galloped  away  like  a  thunderbolt.  In  a  few  moments  he 
was  quite  out  of  reach. 

"Ha!"  murmured  Magnus.  "This  serves  to  give  my 
suspicions  bottom.     We'll  see  the  hyena  after  the  jackal." 

"Well,"  answered  Armand-Louis,  "are  we  not  here  to 
receive  him?" 

While  all  in  the  Swedish  camp  was  being  made  ready 
for  the  decisive  action  of  the  morrow,  Wallenstein  was 
in  conference  with  Duke  Francis-Albert,  who  informed 
him  of  the  resolution  of  Gustavus  Adolphus. 

"Twice  have  I  lost  twenty-four  hours  in  seeking  you 
in  the  mountains  between  Cambourg  and  Weissenfels 
and  along  the  shores  of  the  Saalc.  In  your  turn  do  not 
lose  an  hour.  The  King  of  Sweden  will  be  upon  you  to- 
morrow." 


266  VAE  VICTIS 

"Are  you  quite  sure  of  this  ?"  cried  Wallenstein,  leap- 
ing to  his  feet.  "Yesterday  the  king  was  marching  on 
Saxony." 

"He  has  struck  his  camp  at  Naumbourg  and  is  ad- 
vancing by  forced  marches  on  Weissenfels." 
"Is  Count  Kolloredo  there?" 

"He  holds  the  fort,  but  that  will  not  prevent  the  pass- 
ing of  King  Gustavus  Adolphus,  Believe  me,  my  lord, 
the  battle  is  inevitable." 

"It  will  be  inevitable  only  if  I  consent  to  accept  it." 

"And  if  Your  Highness  refuse,  his  enemies  will  be  as- 
sured that  Your  Highness  does  not  dare  meet  the  King 
of  Sweden  in  open  country." 

"They  say  that,"  cried  Wallenstein,  flushing. 

"They  who  know  you  not,  my  lord,  take  a  malicious 
pleasure  in  spreading  such  calumnies." 

"How  many  soldiers  has  Gustavus  Adolphus  in  hand?" 

"Twenty  thousand." 

"That  is  more  than  I  have  to  oppose  him." 

"But  you  are  Wallenstein  and  you  command.  Besides 
you  have  the  advantage  of  position.  If  you  retreat,  do 
you  not  fear  to  lose  by  such  a  retreat  the  prestige  of 
twenty  victories?  The  King  of  Sweden  has  attacked 
you,  it  seems  to  me,  in  your  entrenchments  at  Nurem- 
berg. Has  the  conqueror  of  Tilly  been  able  to  inflict  a 
scratch  upon  you?" 

"  'Tis  true ;  but  consider  my  ill-luck.  Yesterday  by 
my  order  and  in  the  conviction  that  I  was  in  a  place 
where  the  campaign  was  ended,  Count  Pappenheim  left 
me  and  marched  on  Mortzbourg." 

"He  must  be  called  back  in  all  haste.  He  cannot  be 
gone  above  seven  or  eight  leagues." 

"Will  you  undertake  to  reach  him  ?" 

"Yes ;  and  when  the  Count  has  been  brought  back  to 
camp,  I  will  hurry  to  rejoin  the  King  of  Sweden." 

"Go  then.  There's  the  order,  signed  and  sealed  by 
me.     I  will  confer  with  my  generals." 

But  it  was  less  Count  Kolloredo  or  Piccolimini  that 
the  Duke  of  Friedland  went  to  consult  than  the  Astrolo- 
ger Seni. 

The  conversation  just  held  with  the  Duke  of  Lauen- 


VAE  VICTIS  267 

bourg  was  far  from  determining  Wallcnstein  to  accept 
the  battle  threatened  by  Gustavus  Adolphus.  It  was  his 
poHcy  to  temporize,  and  though  moved  by  the  arguments 
by  whose  aid  the  astute  Francis-Albert  had  pricked  his 
pride,  he  resolved  to  hang  his  resolution  on  the  answer 
of  the  stars. 

The  astrologer  Seni  occupied  a  house  on  the  summit 
of  a  terrace  which  had  been  built  by  the  laborers  of  the 
camp  and  a  kind  of  tower  in  which  the  clever  man  lived 
among  his  instruments.  The  walls  were  covered  with 
cabalistic  figures  and  algebraic  calculations. 

W  hen  W'allenstein  entered  in  the  tower  Seni  was  study- 
ing the  stars.  At  the  sight  of  the  firmament,  resplendent 
with  stars,  above  all  at  the  sight  of  the  silent  man,  who 
was  tracing  on  a  sheet  of  paper  signs  and  figures,  which 
he  could  not  understand,  the  general,  whom  one  hundred 
cannons  discharged  at  one  time  could  not  make  quiver, 
trembled  from  head  to  foot. 

"What  say  the  planets?''  he  asked,  in  a  voice  of  emo- 
tion. 

Previously  Seni  had  received  a  visit  from  Duke  Fran- 
cis-Albert, nevertheless  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  com- 
promising himself  by  giving  categorical  answers. 

"Mars  was  very  red  to-night,"  he  said.  "The  earth 
will  soon  drink  blood." 

"  'Tis  a  dew  which  falls  almost  every  eve  in  this  tem- 
pestuous weather.  But  have  you  cast  your  eyes  upon  the 
star  of  the  King  of  Sweden  ?"  asked  the  Duke  of  Fried- 
land. 

"It  was  veiled  yesterday ;  this  morning  even  more  so. 
But  it  was  not  entirely  hidden.  Saturn  threatens  it,  also 
Jupiter.  I  have  made  my  calculations  from  the  conjunc- 
tion of  those  stars.    A  great  event  is  at  hand." 

"Ah!" 

"Behold  your  star,  my  lord ;  what  a  brilliance  it  has 
despite  the  approach  of  Mercury,  the  inimical  star  of 
which,  Sirius,  who  protects  you,  combats  the  evil  influ- 
ence. Truth  is  read  in  the  heavens  in  characters  of  fire. 
Behold  that  passing  star,  which  dies.  Lo,  another  dis- 
appears!  A  third,  more  resplendent,  springs  from  the 
depths  of  the  firmament.     In  its  course  it  skims  the  war- 


268  VAE  VICTIS 

like  Lion  and  the  Ram,  friend  of  battles.    Let  him  have 
heed." 

"Who?    Explain!"  cried  Wallenstein  breathlessly. 

"The  star  which  is  the  master  of  his  life  pales.  The 
heavens  have  said  it  and  repeat  it.  The  Ides  of  November 
shall  be  fatal  to  Gustavus  Adolphus !" 

"And  to-day  is  the  first  of  November !"  cried  Wallen- 
stein, his  breast  heaving. 

Seni  traced  some  figures  and  parabola  on  his  papar. 
Wallenstein  stared  at  him  with  bated  breath. 

"Yes,  fatal;  exceeding  fatal!"  repeated  Seni.  "The 
sun  set  in  purple.  How  sombre  wert  thou  then,  star  of 
Gustavus  Adolphus !" 

As  he  left  the  house  of  Seni,  Wallenstein,  half  con- 
quered, yet  still  hesitating,  met  a  man  for  whom  he  had 
been  searching.  He  recognized  the  equerry  of  Madame 
d'Igomer. 

"Ah,  my  lord,"  said  this  man,  as  he  knelt  and  presented 
to  him  a  scarf  still  wet  and  soiled  with  mud. 

"Good  God  !    Dead  !"  cried  Wallenstein. 

The  equerry  arose  and  with  bared  brow  narrated  to  the 
Duke  of  Friedland  the  manner  in  which  the  Baroness  of 
Igomer  had  lost  her  life.  Only  this  bit  of  silk  had  the 
cruel  waters  yielded.  Now  Thecla  slept  forevermore  be- 
neath the  weeds  and  grasses  of  the  marsh. 

Wallenstein  heard  the  equerry's  recital  with  a  sad  and 
grave  attention. 

"Ah !"  he  roared  at  length,  "let  the  earth  drink  blood. 
I've  paid  my  holocaust!" 

Then  summoning  the  generals  of  the  Imperial  army, 
Isolani,  Kolloredo,  Piccolimini  and  Terzki,  he  said: 

"Gentlemen,  to-morrow  we  fight  Gustavus  Adolphus." 

All  preparations  were  made  within  the  few  hours  whicli 
lay  between  now  and  daylight.  Deep  trenches,  bristling 
with  stakes  ran  along  each  side  of  the  road  from  Weissen- 
fels  to  Leipzic  between  the  two  armies.  The  Imperial 
troops,  divided  into  five  brigades,  took  position  at  three 
hundred  paces  from  this  road,  the  left  wing  against  the 
canal  which  joins  the  Elster  with  the  Saale,  and  the  bat- 
teries quickly  established  dressed  their  cannons  all  on  ris- 
ing ground. 


VAE  VICTIS  269 

Meanwhile  the  Duke  of  Laucnboiirg  and  Captain 
Jacobus  were  galloping  in  the  night  in  the  pursuit  of 
Count  Pappenheim.  A  burning  village,  which  cast  sin- 
ister flames  athwert  the  heavens,  served  to  light  them. 
They  understood  that  the  terrible  general  had  passed 
here. 

At  the  first  streaks  of  dawn  Gustavus  Adolphus  leaped 
into  his  saddle.  Still  suffering  from  an  ill-healed  wound, 
he  wore  in  lieu  of  his  cuirass  a  close  coat  of  bulT  and  a 
surtout  of  cloth.  Pale,  but  with  eye  undimmed  and  brow 
erect,  he  rode  along  the  front  of  his  army  of  warriors  and 
devotees. 

At  view  of  him  a  thousand  cheers  rent  the  air,  which 
reverberated  even  to  the  camp  of  Wallenstein. 

"Soldiers!"  cries  the  king,  "lift  your  souls  to  God,  the 
giver  of  victory !" 

He  kneels  on  the  ground,  uncovers  and  prays. 

The  army  kneels  in  a  mass,  and  twenty  thousand  brave 
voices  intone  a  religious  chant,  which  is  accompanied  by 
the  music  of  the  regiment.  A  great  fog  covers  the  plain 
and  the  prayer  of  these  valiant  men,  half  of  whom  are 
going  to  their  death,  rises  up  in  the  mist. 

Armand-Louis  and  the  Alarquis  of  Pardaillan.  sudden- 
ly animated  by  the  fire  of  youth,  followed  the  king.  Ar- 
mand-Louis looked  everywhere  for  Renaud.  He  was  not 
to  be  seen  in  the  ranks  of  the  dragoons. 

Armand-Louis  questioned  Magnus. 

"This  morning  ^L  dc  Chaufontaine  seemed  very  much 
interested  in  a  new  buff  coat,  which  he  was  trying,"  re- 
plied Magnus.  "Carquefou  was  trying  one  also  of  the 
same  form." 

At  this  moment  a  ray  of  sunlight  burst  over  the  plain, 
the  fog  rose  like  a  curtain  and  the  two  armies  beheld  each 
other  separated  by  the  highway. 

A  jet  of  flame  shot  out  from  a  battery  placed  on  a  hill 
in  the  midst  of  the  Imperial  army. 

"God  is  with  us!"  cried  the  Swedes. 

"Jesus  and  .Mary!"  replied  the  Imperialists. 

The  battle  had  begun. 

While  Gustavus  Adolphus  was  pointing  with  his  sword 
to  the  battery,  enveloped  in  smoke  and  flames,  which 


2  70  VAE  VICTIS 

must  be  taken,  Wallenstein  was  gazing  in  the  direction 
in  which  Count  Pappenheim  had  ridden  away  the  day 
before.  The  road  was  white  and  naked  even  to  the  hor- 
izon. 

"Will  he  arrive  in  time?"  murmured  the  field  marshal, 
glancing  now  upon  the  masses  of  Swedes,  who  had  al- 
ready fought  their  way  to  the  first  trench  along  the  road. 

The  muskets  shrieked  all  along  the  line  and  the  cannon 
thundered.  Balls  and  bullets  dealt  destruction  in  their 
path. 

The  fury  of  the  attack  was  equalled  only  by  the  ob- 
stinacy of  the  defense.  Neither  army  would  yield.  The 
yards  of  ground  conquered,  foot  by  foot,  by  the  Swedes, 
were  almost  immediately  retaken  by  the  Imperialists. 
Whole  ranks  fell  in  the  carnage  only  to  be  replaced  by 
new  combatants  fighting  like  devils.  Everywhere,  when 
a  regiment  wavered  the  captains  rushed  ahead  and  their 
presence  inspired  new  force  and  spirit  in  the  men.  The 
dead  were  no  longer  counted.  The  road  which  separated 
the  two  armies  had  been  captured  and  lost  three  times. 

While  Gustavus  Adolphus  was  directing  his  impetuous 
charges  from  the  centre  to  the  left  wing  and  from  the  left 
wing  to  the  right  of  his  army,  Armand-Louis,  now  alone 
with  Magnus,  now  with  some  dozens  of  dragoons,  had 
never  left  the  king's  side.  Athwart  the  smoke  he  once 
caught  a  glimpse  of  Renaud,  who  was  issuing  from  the 
midst  of  a  Bavarian  battalion  he  had  routed.  He  fancied 
he  saw  Gustavus  Adolphus  in  person  and  behind  this  new 
Gustavus  Adolphus  still  another.  The  close  coat  and  sur- 
tout  were  exactly  alike. 

"What  madness  is  this?"  said  Armand-Louis,  while 
the  balls  whistled  around  his  head. 

"  'Tis  a  trick,"  replied  Renaud.  "A  deserter  informed 
me  that  certain  captains  of  the  Imperial  army  wished  to 
attack  the  king.  Five  or  six  of  us  have  adopted  his  cos- 
tume.   If  fortune  wills  it,  I  will  be  the  one  to  fall." 

Meanwhile  the  king  aimed  by  a  decisive  blow  to  break 
the  centre  of  the  enemy,  where  Wallenstein  fought  in  per- 
son. He  gathered  about  him  several  Finland  battalions 
and,  his  sword  aloft,  he  dashed  them  on  to  the  charge. 

All  yielded  before  him  and  his  rush  makes  him  master 


VAE  VICTIS  271 

of  the  batteries  that  crest  the  road.  Wallenstein,  still  im- 
passive, retreats,  surrounded  by  the  vanquished.  His  line 
of  operation  is  broken,  but  so  long  as  one  regiment  lasts 
he  does  not  believe  the  battle  lost. 

Had  Seni  not  said  that  the  Ides  of  November  would  be 
fatal  to  the  King  of  Sweden  ? 

But  now  a  fearful  uproar  bursts  forth  on  the  road.  A 
terrible  confusion  ensues  in  the  ranks.  The  two  armies 
seem  to  be  run  over  by  a  whirlwind,  which  annihilates  the 
Swedish  lines. 

Gustavus  Adolphus  pauses  and  looks  into  the  distance. 
A  fearful  shout  tears  the  air,  springing  from  the  midst  of 
this  whirlwind. 

"Jesus  and  Mary !" 

It  is  the  cry  of  the  Imperialists,  and  eight  regiments  of 
cuirassiers  appear  dealing  death  in  their  path. 

At  the  same  instant  a  man  covered  with  powder  passes 
near  Wallenstein  and  flings  forth  these  words : 

"Count  Pappenheim !" 

Then,  continuing  his  course,  he  attains  the  thick  of  the 
Swedish  squadrons  and  hastening  to  the  side  of  the  king, 
he  shouts : 

"Sire,  Count  Pappenheim  is  arrived.  Your  left  wing 
is  broken." 

"Damn  you  !"  mutters  Armand-Louis,  as  he  recognizes 
Francis-Albert. 

The  king  had  signalled  to  Armand-Louis. 

"Gallop,"  he  said,  "and  fetch  Duke  Bernard  of  Weimar 
with  his  reserve.    He  will  find  me  before  Pappenheim." 

Armand-Louis  leaps  off  in  one  direction,  Gustavus 
Adolphus  in  the  other,  and  followed  by  the  Duke  of 
Lauenbourg. 

A  sinister  cavalier  gallops  in  their  shadow.  If  Carque- 
fou  should  meet  him  he  would  recognize  Captain  Jacobus 
despite  the  red  cloak  which  he  wears. 

"At  last,  thou'rt  here,"  said  the  king  to  the  Duke  of 
Lauenbourg.    "W  hy  have  I  not  seen  thee  for  two  days?" 

"Ah,  Sire,"  replied  the  duke,  "now  I  leave  you  no 
more." 

The  flames  had  beaconed  him  the  preceding  night  to 
Halle,  which  General  Pappenheim  had  consigned  to  fare. 


272  VAE  VICTIS 

Scarcely  had  he  been  made  aware  of  the  order,  which 
the  sombre  ally  of  the  Imperialists  bore,  than  the  Grand- 
Marshal  had  his  drums  beating  and  clarions  sounding. 
But  cavalry  and  infantry  were  mad  in  the  lust  of  pillage. 
Only  eight  regiments  of  cuirassiers  answered  his  sum- 
mons, and  at  the  head  of  these  Pappenheim  had  galloped 
to  the  battle. 

It  was  lost.  He  arrives  and  wins  it  back.  His  sword 
works  prodigies  and  his  cavalry,  accustomed  to  conquer 
with  him,  meet  the  Blue  Regiment,  the  most  staunch  of 
the  Swedish  infantry. 

They  formed  a  very  living  wall ;  a  wall  bristling  with 
pikes  and  muskets;  but  the  cuirassiers  ten  times  re- 
pulsed are  lashed  back  to  the  charge  for  the  eleventh 
time  and  the  wall  falls. 

To  the  Blue  Regiment  succeeds  the  Yellow.  The  tor- 
rent of  cavaliers  attack  it  and  heap  themselves  on  its 
flanks  without  being  able  even  to  scratch  it.  Pappenheim 
flings  himself  into  the  thickest  of  the  conflict.  His  cava- 
liers follow  him  and  pass. 

The  Yellow  Regiment  is  no  more. 

"Gustavus  Adolphus,  where  art  thou?"  roars  Pappen- 
heim, brandishing  his  sword  that  flows  with  blood. 

He  perceives  a  cavalier  who  resembles  the  king  and 
charges  upon  him.  A  few  terrific  blows  and  the  cavalier, 
wounded  to  death,  falls  back  on  the  crupper  of  his  horse, 

"Ah,  'tis  not  the  king!"  says  Pappenheim  disdainfully, 
and  he  plunges  forward,  roaring,  "Gustavus  Adolphus, 
where  art  thou  ?" 

On  his  way  he  ploughs  the  broken  ranks  of  the  Swed- 
ish army  as  a  mighty  drill  ploughs  a  field  of  brushwood. 

This  great  twmult  attracts  the  king,  who  from  afar  sees 
the  rout  of  his  men  and  then  apprehends  that  the  Duke 
of  Friedland  will  retake  the  offensive. 

The  cavalier  in  the  red  cloak,  who  shadows  him,  ap- 
proaches Francis-Albert. 

"The  army  wavers.  If  the  king  dies  it  is  beaten.  Strike, 
then,"  he  mutters. 

The  Duke  of  Lauenbourg  raises  a  heavy  pistol. 

"Ah,  I  dare  not,"  he  says. 

At  this  juncture,  Gustavus  Adolphus,  in  his  unbridled 


VAE  VICTIS  273 

course,  passed  near  a  platoon  of  Imperial  musketeers. 
Francis-Albert  feigned  to  be  carried  away  by  his  horse 
and  galloped  along  their  front. 

"The  man  riding  ahead,"  he  said,  "is  the  king.    Fire !" 

Three  muskets  are  raised  and  fire.  One  ball  strikes 
Gustavus  Adolphus,  breaking  his  left  arm,  which  falls 
limp  to  his  side. 

"God's  curse!"  muttered  Francis-Albert,  seeing  that 
the  king  did  not  fall. 

Armand-Louis  galloped  up  now  and  said  to  the  king : 

"Sire,  Duke  Bernard  follows  me." 

"Forward  !"  replied  the  king. 

A  body  of  cuirassiers  suddenly  separates  him  from  Ar- 
mand-Louis, who  charges  on  them  with  thirty  dragoons. 

Gustavus  Adolphus  strove  to  reach  Count  Pappenhcim, 
but  pain  and  the  loss  of  blood  were  weakening  him.  The 
old  ill-healed  wound  reopened.  He  grew  pale  and 
swayed  in  his  saddle. 

"Oh,  if  at  least  my  brave  soldiers  do  not  see  me  fall!" 
he  murmured. 

"Strike  now!"  repeats  Jacobus  in  the  ear  of  the  Duke 
of  Lauenbourg,  as  Gustavus  Adolphus  moves  away 
slowly. 

Francis-Albert  hesitates. 

"Well,"  retorted  the  captain,  "what  you  do  not  know 
how  to  do,  I  will  do." 

Then  raising  his  pistol,  the  dog  fires.  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus utters  a  cry.  His  trembling  hand  seeks  to  grip  the 
saddle,  but  he  falls  to  earth. 

"Brother,"  said  the  king  to  the  duke,  who  stares  at  him 
in  terror,  "I  am  ready  to  die.     Preserve  thy  days!" 

"Now,  Sire,  dost  recognize  me?"  asked  Jacobus,  who 
had  just  left  his  men,  "thou  didst  degrade  me.  I  kill 
thee!" 

A  terrible  cry  causes  him  to  raise  his  glance.  Armand- 
Louis  had  seen  all  and  at  the  head  of  his  cavaliers  is 
figliting  frantically  to  come  up  with  him. 

"Help!  Help!"  cried  Jacobus.  "Gustavus  Adolphus  is 
dead!" 

One  lumdred  cuirassiers  and  one  hundred  Imperial 
musketeers  run  hither.    The  cavaliers,  whom  Jacobus  has 


874  VAE  VICTIS 

filled  with  rage,  fling  themselves  ahead  and  a  combat,  in 
which  quarter  is  neither  asked  nor  given,  begins  over  the 
corpse  of  Gustavus  Adolphus. 

Duke  Bernard  of  Weimar,  summoned  by  Armand- 
Louis,  had  just  met  Count  Pappenheim.  To  the  Austrian 
cuirassiers  are  opposed  the  cuirassiers  of  Finland. 

The  torrent,  which  seemed  a  few  moments  before  irre- 
sistible, recoils  now. 

The  news  that  the  king  is  dead  spreads  like  a  forest-fire 
through  the  ranks  of  the  Swedish  army.  An  outburst  of 
rage  is  their  reply,  and  like  she-wolves  from  whom  their 
cubs  have  been  ravished,  the  companies  rally  and  dash 
upon  the  enemy. 

It  is  no  longer  a  battle,  but  a  duel ;  every  man  who 
bears  a  pike,  a  sword,  or  a  musket  seems  to  have  a  per- 
sonal injury  to  avenge.  Cavalry  and  infantry  vie  with 
each  other  in  falling  upon  the  Imperialists. 

"Vengeance !"  is  now  the  army's  cry. 

Everything  yields  to  this  effort  of  desperation. 

Wallenstein,  leading  the  centre  to  the  battle,  jostled 
against  General  Horn  and  his  old  regiments. 

"Ah,"  said  he,  "the  soul  of  Gustavus  Adolphus  is  with 
them." 

This  soul  was  incarnate  in  the  manly  visage  of  Duke 
Bernard.  While  the  Swedes  fought  to  kill  and  die,  he 
urged  them  ahead  to  conquer,  and  mastering  the  batter- 
ies, which  had  kept  Gustavus  Adolphus  so  long  in  check, 
he  thunderstruck  the  Imperial  army. 

Meanwhile  the  fury  of  the  combat,  which  bloodied  the 
corner  of  ground  on  which  lay  the  body  of  Gustavus 
Adolphus,  had  not  diminished  in  violence.  Dead  piled 
upon  dead,  and  the  wounded  fell  around  them.  Above 
this  raging  sea  of  the  dying  the  head  and  arm  of  Pappen- 
heim could  be  seen.  He  did  not  know  that  Gustavus 
Adolphus  had  fallen  and  still  sought  him. 

While  an  equal  rage  animated  the  Imperialists  to  eflfect 
a  breach  in  the  soldiers  of  Armand-Louis  and  Renaud, 
the  one  redoubled  his  blows  to  attain  Captain  Jacobus, 
the  other  precipitated  his  in  order  to  strike  the  Grand- 
Marshal  of  the  Empire.    In  spite  of  the  waves  of  enemies 


VEA  VICTIS  275 

which  flung  themselves  upon  them,  Carquefou  had  man- 
aged to  join  his  companions  in  arms.  But  liis  horse  no 
longer  obeyed  the  bit.  Deceived  by  the  close-coat  of  buff 
and  the  surtout  of  cloth  Pappenheim  dashed  upon  him. 

"Here's  my  last  hour!"  murmured  Carquefou,  who 
braced  himself  intrepidly  for  the  ordeal. 

Almost  immediately  the  horse  of  the  Grand-Marshal, 
with  its  enormous  breast-plate,  dashed  against  the  stag- 
gering mount  of  his  adversary  and  sent  him  flying  ten 
feet  away. 

"Hold  on  to  thy  saddle  better,"  cried  the  German, 
laughing  as  he  recognized  Carquefou  and  shot  past  him. 

While  Carquefou  was  picking  up  the  Shiverer  and  leap- 
ing to  his  feet  the  Marquis  of  Pardaillan  charged  upon 
Count  Pappenheim,  crying: 

"Raise  your  sword!' 

"Old  man,"  replied  the  marshal,  "the  game  is  not 
equal." 

Then,  with  the  velocity  of  a  stone  let  fly  from  a  sling 
the  blow  he  struck  at  the  marquis  tore  the  old  man's 
sword  from  his  grasp  and  drove  a  great  gash  into  his 
arm. 

"Where  are  the  others?  Get  the  wounded  out  of  the 
way!"  roars  the  Grand-Marshal. 

Now  Renaud  managed  to  break  the  formidable  circle 
of  pistols  and  sabres  which  encompassed  him  and  he  rode 
up  like  a  lion  to  Count  Pappenheim. 

"At  last !"  said  the  Grand-Marshal,  as  he  recognized 
him. 

They  leap  at  each  other  like  two  bulls.  Their  swords 
meet  with  the  swiftness  of  the  sledge  striking  the  anvil ; 
and  blows  are  parried  as  fast  as  dealt.  The  strife  is  re- 
markable in  this,  nevertheless,  that  the  longer  it  lasts  the 
more  assured  becomes  the  coolness  and  address  of  Ren- 
aud. Pappenheim,  on  the  contrary,  noting  that  his  men 
were  wavering  all  about  him,  wished  to  rally  them  and 
make  himself  known  to  animate  them  by  his  example. 
For  an  instant  his  eyes  leave  Renaud  and  standing  in  his 
stirrups,  he  cries : 

"Close  cuirassiers  and  forward!" 


276  VAE  VIOTIS 

His  lips  had  not  yet  regained  their  tight  shut  expres- 
sion ere  the  sword  of  Renaud  had  sHpped  under  his  arm 
and  pierced  his  shoulder. 

A  cry  of  rage  burst  from  the  throat  of  the  Grand-Mar- 
shal. He  would  keep  up  the  fight.  His  leaden  arm 
makes  a  desperate  effort  to  lift  his  weapon,  but  it  falls 
limp  to  his  side. 

"Surrender !"  cries  Renaud. 

But  the  cuirassiers,  seeing  the  peril  of  their  chief,  a 
furious  charge  bears  them  between  the  combatants.  The 
men  of  Duke  Bernard  and  the  dragoons  of  Armand- 
Louis  fling  themselves  into  the  conflict. 

What  arquebuses,  pistols  and  muskets  still  remained 
belched  forth  lire  and  Pappenheim,  who  presisted  in  re- 
fusing to  retreat  with  his  men,  fell  from  his  steed  with 
two  balls  in  his  breast. 

A  company  of  cuirassiers  closed  in  around  him,  and 
while  they  made  a  rampart  of  their  bodies  for  their  chief, 
some  bore  the  Grand-Marshal  far  from  the  strife.  His 
limp  hand  no  longer  held  his  sword. 

"Ah,  if  he  escapes  me,"  cried  Renaud,  "this  victory  is 
no  victory !" 

When  Gustavus  Adolphus,  struck  with  a  mortal  blow, 
fell  from  his  saddle-bows,  Duke  Francis- Albert,  seized  by 
a  mad  terror,  had  taken  flight.  His  terrified  horse  bore 
him  up  to  the  front  of  the  Imperial  army,  and  he  shrieked 
in  a  kind  of  frenzy : 

"The  king  is  dead  !    The  king  is  dead  !" 

Captain  Jacobus,  now  afoot,  sword  in  hand,  raged 
around  his  dying  victim. 

Here  musketeers  and  lansquenets  fought  for  the  effects 
of  the  king,  his  hat,  riddled  with  bullets,  his  bloody  close- 
coat,  his  scarlet  sword,  his  tattered  cloak. 

Armand-Louis,  who  was  followed  by  Magnus,  M.  de 
Saint-Paer,  M.  de  Collonges  and  thirty  dragoons,  cut 
great  breaches  in  this  moving  circle.  Captain  Jacobus 
caught  sight  of  him  and  leaping  astride  of  a  horse,  which 
had  wandered  from  its  fallen  rider,  he  waved  his  stalwart 
arm  in  the  air. 

"  'Tis  too  late,"  he  cried.    "The  king  is  dead." 


VAE  VICTIS  377 

Then  like  an  adder,  which  ghdes  through  thorns  and 
brusliwood,  he  launched  into  the  thick  of  the  Imperial 
squadrons. 

But  these  squadrons,  divided  and  broke  by  the  repeated 
charges  of  the  Swedes,  wavered  and  opened  on  all  sides. 
Whither  Captain  Jacobus  galloped  Armand-Louis  pur- 
sued him.  They  shot  like  two  arrows  through  the  midst 
of  the  dispe.scd  battalions.  Now  the  Huguenot  had  al- 
most overtaken  him,  now  the  captain  evaded  him.  Thrice 
had  the  sword  of  Armand-Louis  ploughed  the  crupper  of 
the  captain's  mount,  thrice  a  chance  separated  them. 

Thus  they  passed  through  the  army  and  the  chase 
ceased  not. 

Beside  a  brook,  fringed  with  willov»s,  Captain  Jacobus 
perceived  a  bevy  of  eight  or  ten  disbanded  Croatians. 

"There's  a  Swedish  general,"  he  cried,  "ten  ducats  to 
those  who  kill  him." 

The  Croatians  were  about  to  charge  upon  Armand- 
Louis,  but  they  saw  M.  de  Saint-Paer  and  M.  de  Collon- 
g<s,  flanked  by  five  or  six  dragoons,  galloping  toward 
him  at  a  fearful  speed.  The  Croatians  turned  bridle  and 
crossed  the  brook.  Unhappily  rapid  as  had  been  their 
intervention,  it  had  allowed  Captain  Jacobus  to  gain  the 
opposite  bank.  A  thin,  pale  man  came  out  of  the  shade 
of  the  willows,  holding  by  the  bit  a  lank  horse.  Captain 
Jacobus  leaped  upon  this  steed,  abandoning  his  former 
mount,  while  Master  Innocent  glided  into  the  thick  bush 
which  bordered  the  brook,  wherein  his  stealthy  flight  left 
no  more  trace  than  that  of  a  fox. 

Armand-Louis  gave  vent  to  a  yell  of  rage  and  would 
have  kept  on  in  pursuit  of  Captain  Jacobus. 

Magnus  calmly  stopped  him  and  pointing  with  Bali- 
verne  to  the  fleeing  rascal,  he  said : 

"His  horse  has  wings.  Do  not  follow  him.  Yester- 
day I  discovered  the  abode  of  Master  Innocent,  Captain 
Jacobus  will  certainly  return  to  it.  But  as  sure  as  Mag- 
nus is  a  man  and  has  never  deceived  you,  he  will  bring 
you  face  to  face  with  that  ruflian !" 

"Thou  promisest  it?" 

"I  swear  it !" 


278  VAE  VICTIS 

"Well,  I  swear  in  my  turn  that  this  hand  will  not  touch 
the  hand  of  Adrienne  before  it  has  punished  the  mur- 
derer of  the  king!" 

Then,  ramming  his  sword  into  its  scabbard,  Armand- 
Louis  turned  bridle. 


THE  KING'S   AVENGED  279 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  KINGS  AVENGED. 

As  he  was  slowly  retracing  his  steps  with  the  dragoons 
grouped  about  M.  de  Saint-Paer  and  M.  de  CoUonges, 
Armand-Louis  met  Renaud,  flanked  by  Carqucfou.  They 
were  galloping  at  the  side  of  an  officer  in  the  uniform  of 
the  Croatian  cavalry  and  halted  on  the  instant. 

"This  man  has  promised  to  conduct  me  to  the  abode 
of  Count  Pappcnheim,"  said  Renaud.  "If  he  keeps  his 
promise  he  will  receive  one  hundred  pistoles;  if  he  fails, 
the  ball  in  this  pistol  will  crack  his  skull." 

"To  thee  the  Grand-Marshal  of  the  Empire,"  replied 
Armand-Louis,  "to  me  Captain  Jacobus." 

The  two  brothers  in  arms  exchanged  a  vigorous  grip 
of  the  hands  and  their  countenances  glowed  with  the  fire 
of  an  irrefragable  resolution. 

"My  horse  is  fresh,"  interposed  M.  de  Collonges.  "I 
borrowed  him  from  an  officer  of  Wallenstein's  body- 
guard in  exchange  for  a  thrust  of  my  sword.  I  will  go 
then  and  join  my  fortune  with  that  of  the  Marquis  of 
Chaufontaine.  M.  de  Saint-Paer  will  remain  with  our 
chief.  Thus  each  of  us  will  have  his  share  of  the  common 
work." 

The  dragoons  divided  into  two  bands,  the  better 
mounted  men  rallying  around  M.  de  Collonges. 

"Farewell,  Baliverne,"  said  Carquefou  to  Magnus,  "I 
feel  as  though  the  Shiverer  is  in  danger  of  death,  but  she 
has  also  a  little  debt  to  pay.  If  we  die  in  company  on  our 
way  forgive  us  in  remembrance  of  the  feelings  that  were 
not  stinted  by  us." 

Shortly  afterward  Renaud's  troop  vanished  in  the  dis- 
tance. 

When  Armand-Louis  reappeared  on  the  field  of  battle 
the  day  was  ended.    All  to  be  discerned  in  the  dubious 


28o  THE  KING'S    AVENGED 

light  of  evening  was  some  of  the  wounded  dragging 
themselves  over  the  ground  to  reach  the  ambulances. 

Ten  thousand  slain  lay  upon  the  field.  A  funereal  si- 
lence enveloped  this  mighty  multitude,  such  a  brief  while 
before  agitated  by  the  storm-wind  of  all  passions  of  vio- 
lence. In  the  midst  of  the  shadows,  which  grew  more 
dense  every  minute,  Armand-Louis,  M.  de  Saint-Paer 
and  Magnus  searched  for  the  body  of  the  king. 

While  they  were  wandering  silently  in  the  confused 
ranks  of  Imperialists  and  Swedes,  they  fancied  they  de- 
scried a  black  figure  which  came  and  went  in  the  night 
like  a  phantom. 

"Can  that  be  Captain  Jacobus  already?"  murmured 
Magnus. 

Armand-Louis  approached  the  figure.  A  woman's 
outlines  loomed  upon  his  gaze  and  raising  her  veil  she 
returned  his  regard. 

"Do  you  not  recognize  me?"  she  said. 

"Margaret!" 

"Yes,  Margaret  who  weeps  and  will  not  be  comforted. 
Everywhere  the  king  went,  I  have  gone.  To  Leipzic ;  to 
the  passage  of  the  Lech ;  to  Nuremberg !  He  was  at  Lut- 
zen  this  morning;  I  also  was  there.  He  fought,  I  prayed. 
God  has  not  willed  that  Germany  should  know  the  hero 
who  rescued  her  from  slavery.  But  if  his  soul  is  above, 
at  least  his  mortal  remains  should  be  brought  back  to 
Sweden." 

"  'Tis  an  hour  that  I  have  been  searching  for  him  who 
was  Gustavus  Adolphus.  Alas,  who  can  say  what  has 
become  of  him?" 

"Follow  me.    If  you  find  him  not,  I  shall  find  him." 

Margaret  pressed  onward  with  a  firm  tread  through  the 
holocaust  of  piled  dead.  Her  face  was  hard  and  cold  as 
marble. 

"Ah,  to  think  that  I  have  seen  her  happy  and  beauti- 
ful !"  thought  Armand-Louis. 

The  daughter  of  Abraham  Cabeliau  at  length  reached 
a  mound  of  corpses  grouped  in  a  circle.  The  earth  was 
sodden  with  blood  and  covered  with  the  fragments  and 
remains  of  arms. 

It  was  a  heap  of  cuirassiers  and  musketeers,  riddled 


THE  KING'S    AVENGED  281 

With  wounds,  mutilated,  disembowelled,  decapitated ;  the 
severed  heads  beside  their  trunks  grinned  in  a  final  glare 
of  furious  hate. 

Margaret  searched  in  this  gruesome  pile  of  unrecog- 
nizable dead,  torn  by  the  hoofs  of  a  thousand  horses. 

Suddenly  she  sank  to  her  knees  and  lifting  in  her  hands 
a  head  cold  and  ghastly,  she  said : 

"  Tis  here !" 

So  much  of  tears  and  anguish  was  in  this  cry  that  Mag- 
nus turned  away  his  gaze  and  wept. 

Then  Margaret  stood  up  and  thrusting  back  the  long 
black  veil,  which  covered  her  like  a  shroud,  her  eyes 
bathed  in  tears,  her  face  on  fire,  she  shrieked : 

"And  he  who  killed  this  hero  lives  perchance.  God  of 
heaven,  where  is  thy  justice!" 

"Yes,  madam,"  said  Armand-Louis,  seizing  her  hand, 
"this  man  lives.  But  by  the  soul  of  him,  who  hears  me 
no  more,  I  swear  to  you  that  Gustavus  Adolphus  shall  be 
avenged !" 

Magnus  brushed  away  his  tears  shamefacedly. 

"To  work  then!'  he  cried.  "Now  that  we  have  found 
the  king's  body,  let  it  remain  here  for  an  hour.  You, 
madam,  go  and  pray  under  the  shadow  of  those  trees 
torn  by  shot.  You  are  a  woman.  You  may  be  seen  and 
heard  without  exciting  suspicion.     How  many  widows 

and  mothers  weep  this  night You,  M.  dc 

Saint-Paer,  will  lie  in  ambush  below  there  behind  that 
stretch  of  wall,  where  you  may  see  all  without  being 
seen." 

"What  wilt  thou  do?"  asked  Armand-Louis. 

"We  are  on  the  hunt.  Let  us  snap  the  trap  where  the 
tiger  should  be  taken." 

"Ah,  I  understand.     But  if  he  should  not  come?" 

"If  he  come  not?  Do  you  know  a  corner  of  Germany 
which  the  point  of  Baliverno  cannot  rummage?  But  be 
assured.  The  tiger  has  smclled  blood.  He  will  want  to 
know  whether  his  victim  is  dead." 

"Good,  Magnus,  good.  I  will  wait  there  in  the  shelter 
of  that  grouf)  of  pines  and  twenty  dragoons  will  wheel 
arnund  the  plain  so  that  he  cannot  approach  unseen  or 
try  to  flee  without  being  taken." 


282  THE  KING'S   AVENGED 

"Above  all,  not  a  word,  not  a  stir;  all  around  you 
great  quarters  of  rock,  trunks  of  felled  trees,  cottages  in 
ruin,  ramparts  of  corpses.  Let  them  be  just  so  many  re- 
treats in  which  you  remain  buried.  But  when  you  shall 
see  me  standing,  and  sword  in  hand,  shouting,  'Gustavus 
Adolphus,'  then  rise  all  of  you !" 

"Then  let  me  kill  him,"  cried  Armand-Louis. 

The  dragoons  moved  away.  Margaret  knelt  on  a  knoll 
and  all  noise  died  on  the  plain. 

Magnus,  left  alone,  groped  among  the  dead,  and  se- 
lecting a  cloak  of  the  Imperial  colors,  he  slung  it  across 
his  shoulders.  He  masked  his  features  by  rubbing  pow- 
der and  blood  upon  them.  He  put  a  dinted  helmet  on 
his  head  and,  unrecognizable  to  every  eye,  the  veteran 
reiter  trudged  to  the  extreme  limit  of  the  field  of  battle. 

Some  few  groans  rose  up  from  beneath  him  indicating 
the  little  life  that  still  struggled  to  survive. 

We  will  forsake  Armand-Louis  and  Magnus  for  a  mo- 
ment to  rejoin  Renaud,  who  with  M.  de  Collonges, 
launched  in  the  pursuit  of  the  Grand-Marshal  of  the  Em- 
pire. The  marquis  determined  to  take  this  man  dead  or 
alive. 

The  Croatian,  whose  movements  he  scrutinized,  gal- 
loped toward  Leipzic.  Here  and  there  at  rare  intervals 
they  passed  groups  of  disbanded  soldiers.  Some  of  them 
dropped  their  arms  at  sight  of  the  Swedish  dragoons  and 
scampered  away,  others  flung  themselves  upon  their 
knees  in  terror  and  begged  for  mercy.  Yet  others,  faith- 
less to  the  defeated  flag  and  deprived  of  their  chief,  ral- 
lied around  Renaud's  escort,  crying,  "Long  live  Gustavus 
Adolphus !" 

A  poor  house,  whose  half  smashed  windows  shone  in 
the  darkness,  appeared  on  one  side  of  the  road. 

The  Croatian  stretched  out  his  hand  toward  it. 

"There  it  is,"  he  said. 

Shadows  passed  athwart  the  windows. 

A  group  of  bloody,  mutilated,  yet  sword-bearing  cuir- 
assiers, kept  guard  around  the  house.  At  the  approach 
of  Renaud  they  lined  up  before  the  door. 

"Lower  arms !"  said  Renaud,  "You  are  ten  and  we  are 
thirty." 


THE  KING'S    AVENGED  283 

A  robust  voice  was  heard  from  within,  Renaud  recog- 
nizing it  as  that  of  Count  Pappenheim. 

"Let  them  enter!"  he  cried,  "the  enemy  will  see  how 
the  Grand-Marshal  of  the  German  Empire  can  die!" 

Solemn  and  mute,  the  cuirassiers  parted  from  before 
the  door;  and  Renaud,  followed  hy  M.  dc  CoUonges,  en- 
tered. Carquefou,  the  Shivercr  in  his  hand,  glided  after 
them. 

Count  Pappenheim,  without  his  cuirass,  his  head  bare 
and  already  covered  with  the  shadows  of  death,  lay  upon 
a  miserable  bed.  Drops  of  blood  oozed  through  the 
cloak  thrown  over  his  wound  and  dropped  to  the  floor. 
His  sword,  broken  through  the  middle,  lay  across  his 
coverlet. 

At  sight  of  Renaud  he  raised  himself  on  his  elbow  and 
saluted  him  with  his  hand,  saying: 

"  'Tis  a  long  distance  from  La  Grande  Fortelle  to 
Leipzic.  Since  then  we  have  met  in  some  strange  places. 
Be  welcome  to  the  last  house  in  which  I  shall  dwell." 

Renaud  uncovered.  Carquefou  lowered  the  Shiverer's 
point. 

Then  placing  his  hand  upon  the  hilt  of  his  broken 
sword,  which  he  still  kept  by  him,  the  Grand-Marshal 
added : 

"If  that  is  what  you  seek,  wait  a  few  moments,  death 
will  come  and  take  me." 

A  shade  of  anger  and  despair  crossed  his  visage. 

"You  have  met  me  on  ten  fields  of  battle,"  he  con- 
tinued, "in  respect  for  death,  which  hovers  here,  forget 
our  long  intimacy  and  answer  as  a  soldier  to  him  who 
was  The  Soldier.  Your  presence  here  tells  me  clearly 
enough  that  we  have  lost  the  battle.  What  remains  of 
the  Imperial  army?" 

"A  few  routed  companies,  some  scattered  squadrons." 

"And  the  Duke  of  Friedland,  our  commander?" 

"He  has  fled." 

"If  he  lives,  nothing  is  lost." 

Count  Pappenheim  pulled  himself  up  with  an  eflfort, 
not  releasing  the  hilt  of  his  sword. 

".And  Gustavus  Adolphus?"  he  asked. 

Renaud  bowed  his  head  and  was  silent. 


284  THE  KING'S   AVENGED 

"And  Gustavus  Adolphus?"  repeated  the  dying  man, 
sharply. 

"He  is  dead,"  answered  Renaud. 

"Dead!"  cried  the  Grand-Marshal,  "the  King  ol 
Sweden  dead !" 

Then  lifting  himself  up,  his  hands  all  palsied  and  his 
face  transfigured,  he  shrieked : 

"Blessed  be  the  God  who  lets  me  learn  before  my  last 
hour  that  the  implacable  enemy  of  my  religion  and  my 
country  has  lost  his  life !  No !  The  battle  is  not  lost  if 
Gustavus  Adolphus  is  dead!  What  matters  it  though 
fifty  regiments  have  been  broken  like  this  sword !  I  die 
content.    With  him  dead,  Austria  is  triumphant!" 

A  violent  knocking  at  the  door  interrupted  him;  a 
cuirassier  entered  followed  by  a  courier  who  knelt  on  the 
ground,  saying: 

"I  arrive  from  Madrid  and  the  king,  my  master,  has 
charged  me  to  give  this  casket  to  the  Grand-Marshal  of 
the  Empire." 

Count  Pappenheim  took  the  casket  and  opened  it. 
Soon  the  brilliant  insignia  of  the  famous  Order  of  the 
Golden  Fleece  glittered  in  his  trembling  fingers.  A  kind 
of  ecstacy  illumined  his  countenance. 

"At  last !"  he  murmured. 

A  chill  seized  him. 

"Farewell  to  glory!    Farewell  to  earth!"  he  said. 

A  deathly  pallor  spread  over  his  forehead ;  the  scarlet 
cross  appeared  faintly  between  his  eyebrows,  then  turn- 
ing those  eyes,  in  which  the  flame  of  life  was  flickering, 
upon  Renaud,  he  murmured : 

"I  have  found  you  always  a  man  of  war,  brave  and  gen- 
erous. In  memory  of  the  days  when  our  swords  crossed, 
allow  my  cuirassiers  to  bury  me  with  these  two  souvenirs 
of  here  below." 

"Your  wish  shall  be  accomplished !"  said  Renaud. 

"Now,  let  God  summon  me,"  cried  the  Grand-Marshal. 
"I  am  ready." 

Soon  he  yielded  up  his  soul,  holding  under  his  cold 
hands  the  necklace  of  the  Golden  Fleece  and  the  hilt  of 
his  sword." 

"Yes,  he  was  a  soldier,"  murmured  Renaud. 


THE  KING'S    AVENGED  285 

"God  grant  me  such  a  death,"  said  M.  de  Collongcs, 
kneehng. 

While  these  things  were  passing  in  the  humble  house, 
under  whose  roof  the  chance  of  war  had  driven  one  of 
the  best  warriors  of  the  seventeenth  century,  to  die,  Ar- 
mand-Louis,  Magnus  and  M.  de  Saint-Paer  were  watch- 
ing on  the  ghastly  field  of  Lutzen. 

The  silence  was  profound  ;  a  slight  sough  of  wind  com- 
plained in  the  branches  of  the  trees ;  the  moon,  immobile 
in  a  pure  sky,  cast  its  gleam  upon  that  field  where  slept 
the  frozen  multitude. 

At  times  a  wounded  horse  raised  his  head,  uttered  a 
long  neigh  and  then  became  silent. 

Night  was  now  well  advanced.  Armand-Louis  began 
to  believe  that  Captain  Jacobus  would  not  come.  About 
this  time,  old  Magnus,  who  was  prowling  along  the  edge 
of  the  field,  distinguished  a  man  walking  slowly  and 
glancing  about  him.  His  tall  form  cast  a  long  shadow 
on  the  ground.    He  held  a  sword  in  his  hand. 

"  'Tis  he !"  murmured  Magnus. 

Then  he  directed  his  steps  toward  the  captain,  while 
feigning  to  be  seeking  something  along  the  ground. 

The  captain  stopped,  drew  a  pistol  from  his  belt  and 
for  a  few  minutes  studied  this  unknown  who  was  ram- 
bling among  the  dead. 

"A  marauder,"  he  said  to  himself  at  last,  as  he  rammed 
his  pistol  back  in  the  folds  of  silk. 

"Holloa,  friend  !"  he  cried. 

Magnus  raised  his  head,  hesitated  like  one  surprised 
and  discontent,  then  advanced  toward  the  captain,  his 
hand  on  his  swordhilt. 

"Keep  the  toy  in  its  place,"  quoth  Captain  Jacobus. 
"Thou'rt  pillaging  corpses;  I  want  to  find  only  one.  So, 
let's  not  quarrel." 

"Then,  let's  talk,"  replied  Magnus,  "but  quickly.  The 
day  is  not  far  off  and  it  won't  be  pleasant  to  meet  a 
Swedish  patrol  here." 

"Hark  thee!  If  thou  aidest  me  to  find  him,  whom  I 
seek,  there's  more  gold  for  you  in  this  purse  than  you'll 
fmd  in  the  pockets  of  a  hundred  officers." 

"Speak." 


286  THE  KING'S   AVENGED 

"The  man  of  whom  I  shall  speak  fell  near  a  field  of 
wheat,  not  far  from  a  group  of  trees  at  a  spot  where  the 
road  makes  a  bend." 

Magnus  scratched  his  forehead. 

"In  a  place  something  hke  that,"  he  answered,  "I  &aw 
an  extraordinary  pile  of  corpses.  They  lay  like  the 
strands  of  an  unbound  sheaf,  one  on  top  of  the  other. 
One  of  them  wore  a  close-coat  of  buff  with  a  gorget  of 
steel ;  his  left  arm  had  been  broken  by  a  ball." 

"Go  thither,  I  follow  thee,"  said  the  captain,  seizing 
Magnus  by  the  hand. 

Without  reply  Magnus  hastily  took  a  path  which  cut 
the  battlefield  diagonally.  The  captain  walked  in  his 
tracks  at  a  sword's  distance.  His  anxious  glances  sound- 
ed on  every  side  the  dubious  clearness  of  the  night;  but 
naught  stirred  in  the  immense  plain. 

Further,  the  man  walking  before  him  had  his  sword  in 
his  scabbard. 

Thus  they  neared  a  field  of  wheat,  which  had  been 
trampled  and  torn  by  the  ravages  of  the  fearful  struggle. 
Magnus  pointed  out  to  Captain  Jacobus  a  group  of  five 
or  six  trees,  and  the  road,  whose  white  line  bent  here. 

"Yes,  'tis  there,"  murmured  the  adventurer. 

A  mass  of  bloody  bodies  carpeted  the  ground.  Broken 
swords  and  muskets  were  strewn  everywhere,  and  every- 
where pale  faces  stared  up  at  Heaven. 

Magnus  crossed  the  first  circle  of  corpses  and  in  the 
heart  of  this  hecatomb  he  pointed  to  the  body  of  the  king. 
Then  uncovering  and  in  a  voice  of  thunder  he  roared : 

"Gustavus  Adolphus  1" 

A  man  sprang  up  at  this  cry,  then  a  second,  then  ten, 
then  twenty  and  all,  sword  in  hand,  marched  toward  Mlg- 
nus. 

"Traitor!"  cried  Captain  Jacobus,  as  he  pulled  his  pis- 
tol and  fired. 

But  the  veteran  had  leaped  aside  and  the  ball  passed 
within  a  few  inches  of  his  brow. 

"Too  soon  and  too  late,"  said  Magnus,  coldly. 

Armand-Louis  and  M.  de  Saint-Paer  were  now  beside 
him,  and  around  them  a  circle  of  dragoons.  Escape  was 
impossible. 


THE  KING'S   AVENGED  287 

Captain  Jacobus  recognized  Annand-Louis  and,  stand- 
ing behind  him  like  a  spectre,  Margaret  Cabehau. 

He  flung  his  useless  arms  to  the  ground  and  crossing 
his  arms  on  his  breast,  he  said  : 

"Ah,  an  ambush  as  at  La  Grande  Fortelle.  The  fjen- 
tleman  does  the  bandit's  job." 

Armand-Louis  made  a  gesture,  at  which  M.  de  Saint- 
Paer  and  Magnus  moved  back.  Then  the  Huguenot 
faced  tlie  adventurer  and  said : 

"I  shall  believe  my  duty  but  half  done  if  I  don't  kill 
you.  Raise  your  sword  then,  Captain  Jacobus,  and  de- 
fend your  life,  for  as  true  as  my  name  is  Armand-Louis  of 
La  Guerche,  one  of  us  will  fall  here  never  to  rise." 

The  captain  whipped  out  his  rapier,  then  retreating  a 
step,  he  asked : 

"Is  it  fair  play?" 

"Fair  play.    You  against  me.    One  to  one." 

"Without  pity  or  mercy?     With  dirk  and  sword?" 

"With  dirk  and  sword.    Without  quarter  or  pardon." 

"And  if  I  kill  you?" 

"You  shall  be  free,  my  faith  of  a  gentleman." 

M.  de  Saint-Paer  made  a  move  forward. 

"Allow  me,"  interposed  Armand-Louis.  "This  man 
belongs  to  me." 

"Magnus  is  not  a  gentleman.  He  has  promised  noth- 
ing," said  Magnus. 

Captain  Jacobus  bent  his  blade  as  he  glanced  at  the 
veteran  and  said  with  a  disdainful  air: 

"Thou — thou'rt  nothing." 

"On  guard  and  pray  to  God,"  cried  Armand-Louis. 

The  steel  crossed  and  the  duel  began. 

Margaret  on  her  knees  held  up  the  livid  head  of  the 
king  and  turned  it  toward  the  combatants,  as  if  she  willed 
death  to  be  the  witness  of  this  implacable  struggle  to 
avenge  it. 

This  time  Armand-Louis  had  to  do  with  the  most  for- 
midable jouster  he  had  ever  met.  No  feint  or  trick  but 
Captain  Jacobus  knew  it.  He  made  of  his  sword  and  pon- 
iard an  agile  and  living  shield,  whence  shot  out  a  thousand 
thrusts  prompt  as  thunderbolts.  .A  mist  passed  before  the 
eyes  of  Magnus,  who  gripped  tight  the  hilt  of  Balivcnie. 


288  THE  KING'S   AVENGED 

But  Armand-Louis  parried  every  thrust  and  multiplied 
his  own  with  a  speed  and  precision  that  increased  by  re- 
sistance. 

Naught  was  heard  but  the  clash  of  steel  and  the  short, 
hard  breathing  of  the  two  men. 

According  as  the  adversaries  changed  their  positions, 
Margaret  turned  the  head  of  the  dead  king  between  her 
knees  so  that  its  pallid  face  might  ever  be  fixed  on  Cap- 
tain Jacobus. 

Once  the  eyes  of  the  adventurer  met  this  terrible  vis- 
age. He  shuddered  and  the  sword  of  Armand-Louis 
caught  him  full  in  the  breast ;  but  the  blade  met  the  fine 
mail  of  a  close-coat  of  steel  under  the  buff  doublet  and 
it  snapped  into  pieces. 

"Bandit!"  cried  Armand-Louis. 

A  snarl  of  ferocious  joy  answered  him. 

Magnus  paled  and  brandished  Baliverne;  but  at  the 
moment  when  Jacobus,  sure  of  victory,  lunged  at  Ar- 
mand-Louis, Margaret  handed  the  latter  a  bloody  sword. 

"  'Tis  the  sword  of  the  king,"  she  said,  "kill  that  man !" 

The  arm  of  Captain  Jacobus  hesitated ;  the  thrust  des- 
tined for  his  foe  was  lost  in  space  and  almost  immediately 
the  point  of  a  blade,  whose  force  he  had  once  felt,  threat- 
ened him  anew, 

"Strike  at  his  throat !"  Magnus  said  in  a  sombre  voice. 

The  duel  recommenced  more  bitterly  and  stubbornly. 

"Death  of  my  life !"  murmured  the  captain.  "I  must 
make  an  end  of  this." 

He  crouched  back  like  a  tiger  and  his  play  became 
more  rapid  and  serried.  They  saw  his  white  teeth  gleam 
through  his  red  moustache. 

Soon  some  drops  of  blood  appeared  on  the  clothes  of 
Armand-Louis,  who  had  no  steel  armor  to  protect  him. 
Twice  the  captain  had  torn  his  doublet.  A  smile  parted 
his  lips  as  he  said  : 

"My  sword  is  thirsty.    Beware!" 

He  made  a  step  and  Magnus  passed  his  hand  across  his 
sweat-soaked  brow.  But  suddenly  the  sword  of  Armand- 
Louis  shone  like  an  arrow  and  pinked  the  adventurer  in 
the  shoulder,  where  his  cuirass  joined. 

"Hell !"  roared  Jacobus,  falling  back. 


THE  KING'S    AVENGED  289 

Armand-Louis  dropped  his  sword,  leaped  forward  and 
while  with  his  right  hand  he  seized  the  left  arm  of  the 
captain,  with  the  swiftness  of  a  lightning  streak  he  plant- 
ed his  poniard  full  in  the  villain's  throat  with  his  left. 

The  shell  of  steel  struck  his  gorget  and  a  jet  of  black 
blood  leaped  on  the  arm  of  the  conqueror. 

"Justice  is  done!"  said  Armand-Louis. 

At  daybreak  two  troops  of  cavalry  met  on  the  Leipzic 
road.  One  was  being  conducted  by  Renaud  of  Chaufon- 
taine,  the  other  by  Armand-Louis.  The  one  had  seen 
Count  Pappenheim  die ;  the  other  bore  the  body  of  King 
Gustavus  Adolphus.  Not  long  afterward  the  two  gentle- 
men entered  the  abode  of  the  Marquis  of  Pardaillan. 

"Dost  believe  that  the  Shiverer  may  take  some  rest 
now?"  asked  Carquefou. 

"Who  knows !  Baliverne  is  not  tired,"  replied  Mag- 
nus. 

Adrienne  and  Diana  awaited  their  sweethearts. 

"A  man  dared  to  look  upon  you,"  said  Renaud.  "He 
is  no  more." 

The  Marquis  of  Pardaillan  took  Diana's  hand  and 
placed  it  in  that  of  Renaud. 

"Madame,"  said  Armand-Louis,  "the  swordknot  with 
which  John  of  Werth  adorned  his  blade  is  here  on  mine ; 
and  I  have  killed  the  man  who  raised  his  hand  against  the 
kmg." 

"Madame  de  La  Guerche,"  said  the  Marquis  of  Par- 
daillan, "kiss  your  husband." 


(thh  end) 


SURGtON,  U.  S.li 


nc,-,aK,ii  ilBRARYFACIUTV 


Xa      000  329  697    7 


